Catalyst of Storms
by Biscuit15
Summary: Kyouya hadn't thought much of it when he sent three of his officers out to arrest a group called Varia. All he had expected was for charges to be laid and court trials, the same as always. What he hadn't expected was for Tsuna to somehow talk him into taking in one of members of said group and rehabilitate him from the damage the group had caused him. AU, TYL!Kyouya x TYL!Bel
1. Chapter 1

The first time Hibari Kyouya laid eyes on Belphegor, it was when they were both sixteen-years-old and a police raid was being carried out. Kyouya had been accompanying his mentor within the police force, an Italian man named Dino Cavallone who enjoyed having his student tag along with him to gain experience for the position he was so adamantly training for.

"What's the information on this group?" Kyouya flicked through the manila folder in his hands as Dino parked the police cruiser in front of a mansion on the outskirts of town. As hard as he looked, he couldn't find much in any of the statements to give him a good idea of what they were in for, and he wanted to be prepared; he knew how quickly things could go wrong, and if he let his guard down even the slightest, it could mean his end.

"They're a group that calls themselves Varia." Dino turned the ignition of the car off, but he didn't get out of it just yet; he greatly enjoyed talking to his pupil and wanted to educate the younger as much as he possibly could on the job. "We haven't been able to find much evidence against them yet, but we have reason to believe they're running several drug and child trafficking rings."

"Do they cooperate with the raids?" The skylark slid the folder beneath his seat before he opened the door of the cruiser; he knew enough now to prepare himself, and he could always hear more as they walked to the front entrance of the mansion; he didn't want to waste any more time and potentially allow the suspects to hide any evidence they may have.

"Mostly – well, they cooperate as best as a bunch of antisocial criminals do. All of them already have charges laid against them for various things, but if they really _are_ running this rings, they're covering their tracks extremely well."

Kyouya nodded as he got out of the car. He stretched slightly as the gentle breeze of the night blew against him. When he looked up at the mansion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding, as if there was something that went on inside that place that was just pure evil. Kyouya wasn't superstitious by any times, but sometimes his gut told him more about situations than anyone else ever could – and right now, his gut was telling him that if walls could talk, there would be only horror for them to relay.

Dino was the first to approach the double doors leading in to the mansion. He pressed the buzzer and, within minutes, one of the servants was opening the door for them.

"Master Xanxus is out at this hour." The woman, who Dino recognised from previous raids as one of the maids, bowed respectfully to the officer. "I believe Master Squalo is upstairs in the office instead."

"Thank you." Grateful that Varia could at least employ respectful staff to make his job a little more pleasant, Dino offered his own bow. "We will go and see him now. He knows to expect us."

Kyouya was quiet as he followed Dino up the stairs, wondering just how often this place had been raided for Dino to look as if he felt completely in-place here; the blond knew exactly where he was going, and the way he was so openly relaxed was really no different to how he would feel in his own home. "Who are the two herbivores the maid mentioned?"

"Xanxus is the boss of the group." Dino glanced at the younger as they ascended the staircase, knowing there was still a walk to go before they arrived at the office the maid had mentioned. "He's the one in charge of everything that goes on in here. Squalo is his second-in-command, and holds almost as much authority over everyone's doings as Xanxus."

"What charges have already been laid against them?"

"Well, Xanxus has a very, _very_ long list, but he's been kept out of jail because of how powerful his adoptive father is. I know; it's no excuse and it upsets me, but there's nothing I can do about that. Squalo has mostly been charged with drug use and assault, but there's much more he's gotten away with over the years; he used to be one of my classmates in school, so I was always familiar with the things he got up to."

Kyouya fell silent as he absorbed this information into his mind; they had already reached the end of the staircase, so now all that was left was to arrive at the office. It took much less time to stop at the door Kyouya assumed was the office than it had to climb the staircase; the mansion was _a lot_ bigger inside than it had appeared to be when viewing it from the long driveway outside.

Knocking on the door, Dino waited for a response before opening it. Kyouya peered in curiously, finding a man with long, silver hair sitting at a polished mahogany desk with several documents spread before him. The other looked up, revealing grey eyes with dark bags beneath them and a look of pure dislike on his face.

"Back again, Bucking Horse?" The man – whom Kyouya knew must be Squalo – stood up as a sneer crossed his face. "You're wasting your time; there's no 'evidence' to be found here. You can tear this place apart, but you'll only leave in disappointment like you always do."

Dino ignored these words and approached the desk. His eyes were on the papers; he couldn't overlook them, because they could be what would lead him in the right path of finally bringing down this organisation once and for all. "What are these for, Squalo?"

"Medical shit." Squalo shrugged. He picked up the closest sheet and shoved it at the taller blond. "Don't believe me? Here. The stupid brat needed a doctor, so we called in our private one again."

Dino winced as he looked at the sheet, wondering just what kind of medical treatment had been required to total several thousand dollars; that couldn't be just an ordinary cold… "This is all for Belphegor?"

"Yup. Dumb little fuck fell off his balcony a few nights ago." There was not a hint of caring in the man's voice, and both Dino and Kyouya knew Squalo didn't care for this person referred to as Belphegor. "Doctor said he probably would have died if it hadn't been raining and he fell into mud, and on his side instead of his back."

"How does one just 'fall' off a balcony?" Speaking up for the first time, Kyouya's instincts told him that what he was hearing was a lie Squalo probably didn't care if they believed or not.

"I just said; he's a retarded little shit. He's always sitting on the railings; he slipped off them because of the rain."

Kyouya didn't respond again; he simply watched as Dino put the paper down on the desk. "We're going to have a look around, Squalo. Come on, Kyouya."

Kyouya nodded, following behind Dino. He helped search through everything under his tutor's guidance, but no matter how focused he was on his task, he could never ignore the fact that Squalo seemed to be floating around behind them wherever they went.

"Does he think we don't notice him?" Kyouya rolled his eyes as he stopped what he was doing.

"No; he knows we know he's there, but he doesn't care. He's always been like that, even in school."

Kyouya dropped what he was holding back into the cupboard he had been looking through before he shrugged. "There's nothing in here, Cavallone."

Dino, too, put back what he had messed; their current location was clean of evidence, so it was on to the next room.

"When we go into the next room, there will be someone in there." Dino led the skylark back out into the corridor so that he could point out the room he was talking about. "That's Belphegor's bedroom. He's the same age as you, actually. Out of all the Varia, he's the most antisocial of them all, so since your back is turned to him, don't let your guard down. Trust me on this."

Kyouya nodded. "He is the same one who 'fell off his balcony', yes?"

"That's correct."

"He didn't 'fall' off it." Kyouya trusted his gut instinct, and he cared nothing for the long-haired man stalking behind them who could most likely hear them; all that mattered was pointing out what he believed was important for them to acknowledge in this case because any small lie could be what finally closed the case for good.

"I know."

"If he even _has_ a balcony, and he _did_ come off it, it wasn't an accident."

"I know, Kyouya." The young man knocked on the bedroom door. He waited for a few seconds for a response, but when none came, he opened it hesitantly; he hated walking into occupied rooms uninvited because who knew what he would be walking in on.

The first thing Kyouya noticed was the lack of… Well, the lack of _anything,_ really. There was a bed pressed against one of the far walls, and a wardrobe hanging open not far from it. There was clothing and dirty dishes spread all over the floor, and plenty of cracks in the walls that looked as if they had been made on purpose, but there was nothing else; nothing to suggest that whoever lived in this room was cared about in the slightest.

The skylark turned back around to look out into the hallway so that he could address Squalo. For once, the man was closing the distance between them, with a look of pure annoyance on his face. "There's not even a television in his room. There was plenty of entertainment in every other bedroom we searched through. This bedroom is almost completely void of life."

"Voi! There's a fucking TV downstairs, you little brat! What, you think we want him up all night watching porn or something?! Fuck off! He's not your kid; don't you fucking tell me what to do with ours!"

Kyouya ignored the outburst and looked back into the room. His gaze finally fixed on the apparently-existing balcony that was across from him. What he was quick to notice was that the handles to it had been chained shut, complete with a padlock; for whatever reason, someone certainly didn't want anyone going back onto it.

"So the balcony _does_ exist." Kyouya ignored the muttering behind him as he now noticed the body on the bed with blankets wrapped tight around it. It hadn't moved since they had walked in, and the skylark couldn't help but wonder if it were even _alive_.

Squalo pushed past Dino in order to enter the room. He yelled at the occupant in the bed before tearing the blankets away from them, revealing a blond teenager curled up into a ball on the mattress. Their back was to the doorway, but when they turned around to face the two guests, Kyouya had never felt someone look at him with as much hatred as _this_ person had, even with long bangs obscuring their eyes.

"Squalo said you fell off the balcony." Dino's voice was soft as he took notice of the cast on the boy's arm and leg, and the bandages wrapped around the rest of his body. "How do you feel?"

When the smaller blond spoke in a hiss, Kyouya knew that this… this _boy_ right in front of him was already the angriest, the most loathing person he had ever met – and he hadn't even said a word to the other. "I fell five fucking storeys; how do you _think_ I feel…?"

Kyouya didn't listen as Dino soothed his fellow blond; he instead started investigating the room, leaving the two adults and the other teenager to their own devices. While once again, he found no evidence, what he did find was himself becoming more and more convinced that it was no accidental fall off the balcony, and that if this group really _was_ running a child trafficking ring, then the boy on other side of the room had undoubtedly come from that.

Kyouya always trusted his gut instincts, and he was willing to bet everything that this would not be the first time he was wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

Twenty-six-year-old Kyouya sat in his office and sorted through the seemingly endless mountains of paperwork that his subordinates hadn't gotten around to finishing. It was frustrating to clean up after them, but someone had to do this; someone had to be organised, after all. He had been intending on spending his evening making sure everything was in order, but when a knock at the door came, he knew that wasn't going to happen; there was only one person who would dare bother him at a time like this, and said person always led to trouble.

"Come in." Kyouya narrowed his eyes at the sight of one of his officers, a brunet by the name of Sawada Tsunayoshi. The younger male looked nervous, as if he were about to break news to Kyouya that could potentially get him hurt – and knowing the brunet, that probably was it. "What is it?"

Tsuna remained quiet until he was standing before the desk. He then slid a manila folder over to the stronger male without a word, knowing that his superior would read the label himself. His eyes were soft as he looked at Kyouya, his voice quieter than usual. "Gokudera-kun and I took down the Varia earlier today. We've shut down every ring of theirs we could find, but we suspect there may be more of theirs we don't know about. Ryohei is interrogating them now."

"Did you get the entire group?" Kyouya studied the other as he waited impatiently for an answer.

"Mostly. Viper is still missing-in-action, and we don't currently know her whereabouts. But everyone else has been arrested."

"What is the baseball herbivore doing?" Referring to the third member of Tsuna's little clique, Kyouya was surprised the brunet had come alone; he was always flanked by his two comrades, and it was rare to see them apart like this.

It was then a flicker of emotion crossed Tsuna's eyes, and the younger hesitated to speak again. He gripped his pants tightly as he considered his words, and when he spoke, it was in a careful manner, as if he expected something horrible to happen if he was careless. "…He is currently staying at the hospital…"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow before he leant forward. "Come again?"

"…It's Belphegor. The blond from the Va –"

"I know who the herbivore is; now cut to the chase."

"…" Sighing, Tsuna continued on. "We did not arrest Belphegor; we instead had him taken to a hospital for observation; he was in extremely bad shape, and we believe someone had attacked him shortly before our arrival."

"Attacked?"

The brunet nodded. "He was in his room when we found him. He was covered in blood and seemed to have been stabbed multiple times. There was plenty of bruising all over him to suggest physical violence before the stabbing. He was very… distressed, and didn't want us to come near him. He wanted to be left alone, and he became as violent as he could in his condition when we approached him to give him first aid. I believe he was… frightened of us."

Intrigued by this, Kyouya remained silent, wanting to hear what Tsuna said next; this was certainly not what he had expected to hear during this conversation.

"When Belphegor is cleared by the nurses, Yamamoto will be taking him back to his own home." Tsuna hoped he wasn't about to anger his superior; the last thing he wanted was for Kyouya to cut him off and not listen to everything he had to say. "We cannot possibly put Belphegor in the position of arrest after what we brought him out of; I honestly don't believe he played any part in any of the rings, and that he was kept there by force."

"And what if you are _wrong,_ herbivore? What if he _was_ involved, and you are sparing a criminal what he rightly deserves?"

Tsuna shook his head before he said, "I find it hard to believe Belphegor is like the other Varia. From what we observed of him, he doesn't want to be around anyone in the first place. He wants to be left alone. …But… It's just…"

"Just what?" Keeping calm, Kyouya waited for another response.

"…" Tsuna looked at his lap and closed his eyes; he hoped the skylark would understand, but he doubted it; Kyouya was withdrawn himself, and interacting with and understanding other people was something he had always struggled with. "…Yamamoto won't be able to take care of Belphegor adequately, and especially not permanently, so… We were wondering if… Perhaps _you_ would take him in for a while…"

It took Kyouya several moments to understand this request, and even then, he didn't know how to reply; did they _dare_ ask this of him…? _Why?!_ "I refuse."

"Hibari-san, I know it's something you're not comfortable with, but we cannot find any living relatives who want to take him in, and there's no way he will be able to survive on his own; he won't last three days on the streets, Hibari-san. There's just nowhere for him to go, and… It's just… It's cruel…"

"It is not my problem."

"Hibari-san…" The younger tried not to get worked up; he needed to make Kyouya understand, and that wouldn't happen if they both lost their cool. "…The nurses gave him a physical examination. There's no doubt that he's been badly abused… He must have been raped so many times; he's been torn to shreds and with the damage left behind, he might never be able to have anal sex again. He's covered in bruises and wounds, and he's acting so angry and fearful, he may have been traumatised. Please don't abandon him to the streets, Hibari-san; he _needs_ someone, even if only a home for him to stay in where he doesn't have to be forced around other people."

Kyouya's gaze softened as much as possible for a man of his nature. He couldn't say those words didn't affect him; he was cold, but he wasn't heartless, and he wasn't in the habit of kicking people when they were down. "…Why can your band of herbivores not take him in?"

"We don't have the room and the time. Yamamoto is going to take him for now, but we're worried a town environment may not be good for him; he needs somewhere quiet and isolated, which is why your home would be ideal; it's large, and it's out of town, away from everyone."

"You want me to harbour a criminal." It wasn't a question.

"Belphegor is not a criminal; that I'm confident in believing. He's simply broken, and has been forced into a life he probably never wanted in the first place. He may be a lot of things, but I _know_ he's not like the other Varia."

"…" With a sigh, Kyouya closed his eyes. "…Fine. But the second he gives me reason to believe he is no better than those other herbivores, I'm doing what I see fit with him."

Tsuna nodded, oddly content with this compromise; somehow, he felt as if things would never come to that. "I don't think that will happen, Hibari-san. Thank you very much for this; Yamamoto and I will organise everything."

Kyouya waved a dismissive hand into the air before he looked back to his paperwork. "See to it that he behaves himself."

"Of course. Thank you, Hibari-san." With that said, Tsuna was gone.

The skylark picked up his pen up from the desk but didn't press it to any paper; he instead turned to look out of the window at the trees blowing in the aggressive gale; what had he just gotten himself into?

Yet, the better question was, why had Kyouya _agreed_? Was he actually getting soft towards those herbivores he had known for so many years…?

"I need tea." Getting up to distract himself, Kyouya left to go to the tearoom. He would try not to think about this for now, and when it happened, he would just hope everything went smoothly.

But alas, life didn't work like that, and Kyouya knew it.


	3. Chapter 3

_If you say a fucking word to_ any _of them, I'll make you regret it, you little slut._

…

 _How long does it take you to learn to do as told?! You don't listen until you get your ass beat! You were told to keep your mouth shut, trashy whore! Stop screaming and take your fucking punishment!_

…

 _You don't leave my side unless I send you away myself; you exist solely for my benefit and my pleasure. Until the day I slit your throat myself, I own your mind and your body, and I will do with them whatever I damn well please. Now kneel like the good little slut you are and put your mouth to use._

"Belphegor?"

The addressed blond jumped violently as he was jerked out of sleep by a voice from the doorway of the bedroom he had been sleeping in. He sat up quickly and glared from beneath his long bangs at the man who dared bother him.

" _What_. _"_ Unable to keep himself from hissing, Bel gripped the bed sheets beneath him tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. He couldn't stand people coming near him, much less bothering him when he was trying to sleep; why couldn't he just be left alone?

"I could hear you from the living room." The young man standing in the doorway held a look on his face that Bel couldn't decipher, no matter how hard he tried; caramel eyes were shining with emotion Bel had never seen before, and the look the other donned was not that of hatred or anger – so what was this facial expression he was being presented with? "It sounded as if you were having nightmares."

Bel didn't know how to respond to this; the only dreams he ever had were of nightmares, and he was only ever beaten and yelled at for keeping people awake at night when he would scream bloody murder in his sleep; why was this not happening now? "…"

"Are you okay?" When Takeshi moved further into the room, he wasn't oblivious to the way his guest tensed suddenly and his breathing hitched as panic hit him at his host's approach. "Belphegor? I'm sorry; I'll give you space."

Bel took a few deep breaths to steady himself before he replied. "I don't need your pity, peasant; get the fuck out of my room so I can sleep."

"Belphegor, it's almost midday." The young man known as Yamamoto Takeshi shook his head as he folded his arms against his chest and spoke in a gentle tone; he could see for himself how fearful his guest was, though the blond seemed prideful enough to try and hide it. "All you've done since you've been here is sleep. We need to go out and buy you some new clothing and anything else you'll need, and then I'm taking you over to someone else's home so that they can look after you."

Bel clenched his jaw at this before he shook his head. He made an agitated sound, almost as if he believed Takeshi was lying to him – but lying about _what?_ "I'm not leaving my bed. Fuck off."

"Belphegor, I've let you sleep for two days now; it's time to come out for a little while."

It wasn't that Bel was irritated by Takeshi trying to tell him what to do – that was only a small part of his current anger - instead, what bothered him the most was that he just couldn't work out why he wasn't being abused for arguing and disobeying, and instead why Takeshi was being so…

What _was_ Takeshi being in this minute? Not cruel and heartless for a start.

Bel didn't like feeling so confused and uncertain about his current treatment, because he couldn't remember ever having someone interact with him like this before, and he had no idea what to expect outside of the norm – outside of being beaten and raped and verbally abused.

"Belphegor." Takeshi remained patient as he tried to coax the other from the room. It wasn't going to be easy, but after having seen Bel in such a state after rescuing him from the Varia Mansion…

Well, Takeshi quite simply didn't want to give the blond any more reason to be so fearful.

"I don't want to come out; I'm comfortable here." A childish pout crossed Bel's face as he gripped his blanket tightly and tugged it further up his body.

"I'm sure you are, but wouldn't you be more comfortable with some pyjamas? It can't be very comfortable wearing such raggedy clothing all the time. If you come out of your room, I will buy you the most comfortable clothing we can find, and then we'll have lunch wherever you want to eat before I take you to my friend's house."

Bel couldn't deny the fact that he wanted new clothing; the only ones he had were what he had been released from the hospital in, and it was very uncomfortable and wasn't keeping him warm with the cold weather they were experiencing – and the fact that there was bloodstains and rips all through the fabric only made things so much worse... The only problem was, he didn't want to have to leave the bed. "Leave me here and bring me back stuff."

Takeshi didn't take Bel's demands to heart; he had no idea why the blond was like this, and if it were from the abuse like he suspected, he couldn't hold it against his guest; if that was the case, he would _never_ understand Bel's pain. Trying to change his approach and be more understanding, he asked, "Is there a reason you don't want to come into town?"

Bel was stunned by these words; he had never had someone ask him a question like this before. Sure, he had had questions thrown at him often previously; he had had answers he didn't want to tell anyone tortured out of him by Xanxus and Squalo because no matter what, they always seemed to know exactly what he did and never had been able to go behind their backs without being caught.

This was the first time Bel hadn't been pinned to the ground and assaulted mercilessly just to make him speak.

"…"

"It's okay, Belphegor; you can tell me."

"…" Bel cocked his head to the side. He honestly didn't know what to say; what _was_ there to say? He wasn't about to admit to anyone that he was _scared_ of going outside, leaving the only thing he knew for a world of uncertainty and confusion. How was he supposed to tell someone he didn't even know that he had never so much as been outside in the Varia Mansion gardens before? That the only outside world he had seen in his eighteen years of living there was the grounds he stared out at as he stood on his balcony at night and tried to decide how to make his next attempt at suicide successful? No; Bel wasn't going to divulge this information any time soon, and if he ever did, it wouldn't be to someone he hardly knew. "I don't like going outside."

"No one will hurt you, Belphegor," Takeshi promised. "I'll be with you, and you'll be _safe_."

Scoffing, the blond shook his head. "Bullshit."

"It's not, Belphegor." Knowing not to push Bel any further when he didn't know the other's limits, Takeshi decided to give up for now; he would have to find an alternative to taking his guest into town to get him adequately prepared for his new life. "What if I take you to my friend's house now instead? Then when you're feeling more comfortable, we will organise clothing and everything else for you."

"…"

"There will be a nice, big bed for you that I'm sure is more comfortable than this one."

Bel shrugged. He laid back down on the bed and pulled the blankets over him. "I don't fucking care… I'm tired…"

"How about you take one last nap, and then we'll go to his house?" Nodding once he received another shrug in response, Takeshi offered a sad smile. "Okay. Sleep well, Belphegor." With that said, he turned around and left the room, closing the door as quietly as he could behind him.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Bel sat in the passenger seat of Takeshi's car and watched the world go past him. It had been eighteen years since he had left the Varia Mansion grounds, and so the entire concept of 'town' was foreign to him. He had no experience outside of the walls he had once been a prisoner in, and everything he was seeing for the very first time was quickly overwhelming him.

"Ah, what a silly person." Takeshi shook his head at the car that had just cut him off. He sighed and tapped his brakes to put distance between the two vehicles before he turned to speak to Bel. "I don't like other cars being so close to mine."

Bel turned from the passenger window to look ahead at this, finding a grey sedan in front of them. Having had no experience whatsoever with cars in his entire life, he found it hard to understand. "Why?"

As Takeshi opened his mouth to answer the older male, he quickly shut it as he hit his brakes once more, harder this time as the traffic up ahead came to a sudden slow and the lacklustre gap he had been left with was not adequate enough for emergency braking. Finally, once everything had calmed down and traffic had sped back up, he said, "That's why. It's dangerous. Do you drive, Belphegor?"

Bel shook his head and then turned back to look out of the passenger window. He found that once they came closer to the edge of town, and the traffic lessened and their surroundings didn't look so cluttered with buildings, it was easier for him to relax; having lived for so long surrounded by nothing but nature, he didn't feel as awkward and out of place in this part of town.

And then, once they left town behind completely and turned down a dirt road that looked as if it went on forever, Bel was able to relax almost completely; the green paddocks on either side of him soothed him, lowering his stress levels as he didn't need to try and process new stimuli that only seemed to grow with every little thing he saw.

"Why are you bringing me out here, anyway?" Bel looked to Takeshi as he picked at the hem of his torn striped shirt.

Takeshi glanced at his passenger for a second before he turned back to the road. "Because as happy as I am to let you stay with me, I think it will be better for you to stay with my friend; he has more room than I have, and while I usually have friends over a lot, Hibari rarely has anyone visit, so that will be good for you, too. Besides; he also likes to keep to himself, so he really won't bother you, especially since you like being left alone, too."

The blond dropped his head against the window and sighed; it wasn't unusual for him to feel so tired all the time, and now that he was finally allowed to sleep, he found that it was all he was doing; he was only getting out of bed to use the bathroom, and once he was done, he would go straight back to sleep. Was it because he was constantly exhausted? Because his sleep schedule had once been non-existent? He didn't know; he was just glad that he had _some_ sort of escape from the mess inside his head.

Bel looked out of the windshield when the car turned through a small gate. He instinctively tensed and sucked in a sharp, audible breath; Takeshi wasn't… seriously about to try and drive on a _cliff,_ was he?

The older male grabbed his door handle and intended on opening it and getting as far away as possible, but he quickly stopped and gulped when he realised that if he were to try and exit the car, he would only fall to his death; what the _fuck_ was Takeshi _thinking?!_

"Don't! Go back! Go back!" Panicking further as Takeshi didn't so much as tap the brakes, Bel could see them plummeting over the side of the narrow driveway; who the hell would want to live out here?! Were they _insane?!_

But when Bel realised how carefully Takeshi was driving, he slowly calmed down; it seemed the younger male had done this before, so it mustn't have been certain death like he had thought. But still… He was going to make it a point to boycott this driveway.

The house on the other end of the driveway caught Bel's attention once they came around the cliff wall. It looked very big, nothing like the mansion he had come from, but still bigger than the house Takeshi lived in. There was luscious green grass all around it, and the typical Japanese home rested next to a large koi pond with a bridge leading over it. There was some sort of shelter attached to the building, and when they got closer to it, Bel could see a black car beneath it. It didn't look anything like Takeshi's big, silver one; it was smaller, sleeker, and Bel found himself wondering if all the different kinds of cars he saw on their way out here said something about the owners; was there a reason Takeshi was driving something that seemed too big to be a logical choice for driving in town, and why this black car instead looked lustrous enough to easily beat Takeshi's own in a race?

People were confusing, and Bel wasn't sure if he would ever come to understand them and what made them tick.

"Alright, we're here." Takeshi stopped his car behind the black one and pulled up the lever beside his chair before seemingly touching something out of Bel's sight, because the noise of the car soon fell silent as Takeshi opened his door.

Bel did the same and stepped out onto the gravel of the driveway. He certainly didn't want to be here, but he had been promised a comfortable bed, and he was going to take that without hesitation. He didn't say a word as they stopped by the door, waiting for it to be opened; he simply pushed his way past once granted entry, not even caring to look at who his new host was; he just wanted to sleep.

Bel didn't listen to the conversation back at the doorway; he instead wandered through the house until he finally found a bedroom that resembled the set-up he had had at Takeshi's; a bed, wardrobe and a nightstand; nothing extravagant, but exactly what he was used to anyway. Truth be told, he was sure he would feel extremely uncomfortable if he were suddenly left in a room that actually looked as if someone lived in it, because he had never had that privilege before, and he _liked_ his simple layout.

The blond closed the door once he was inside, and he was dismayed to find that there was no lock on the door; if someone kept coming into his room uninvited, he would have to find a way to jam the door shut, but for now, he would leave it as it was.

Bel didn't hesitate to approach the bed. He pulled back the blankets and then laid down on the king-sized mattress, finding that he was pressed up against a large window. He rolled onto his side and pulled the blankets up to his chin so that he could look through the parted curtains. He stared out across the green fields for what felt like an eternity as he watched the cattle he could see in the distance graze peacefully.

Somehow, being in a somewhat familiar setting without the anxiety of the men he lived with dragging him down, Bel was able to fall asleep quickly.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

When dinnertime rolled around and Kyouya found that his new guest had not made one appearance since his arrival, he decided not to expect the other for dinner; Bel obviously wanted to be left alone, and that was perfectly fine with him. However, he couldn't let the smaller male starve; who knew if he would leave his room to feed himself once he got hungry?

Kyouya cooked a small meal as he wasn't too hungry himself and soon dished it up onto two plates, leaving one on the bench as he took the other down the hallway and to Bel's bedroom. He knocked on the door but received no answer, so he pushed it open slowly. As stoic as ever, the police officer didn't feel any different as he found the blond still curled up in bed, seemingly fast asleep as the rays of the setting sun washed over him.

Kyouya moved to put the plate down on the nightstand before he then leant over the bed in order to close the curtains and leave the room, well aware that his guest had not awoken once; was Bel really that tired, or was it something more?

Kyouya decided not to think on it too much; it would probably only agitate him to try and understand just what went through Bel's mind. He would have to give it a few days to know for sure, but so far, he didn't think Bel was going to be much of a problem – especially if the blond just slept.

It wasn't until that night did Kyouya learn it wouldn't be that simple; having been sleeping peacefully in his room, he was suddenly jerked awake by a loud scream coming from the room next to his. Unalarmed, Kyouya remembered Takeshi telling him of the blond's night terrors, and let it go. Though the screams lasted for a few minutes, they were soon replaced by the sound of crying, and if Bel was awake or not, Kyouya didn't want to know; he wouldn't have any idea how to help if he were to go in there anyway; he would just make things worse.

Waiting for Bel to quieten back down, Kyouya soon went back to sleep, wondering what he was supposed to do with the other tomorrow when he went to work. Why he was asked to take the blond on board, he had no idea; did he _look_ like a caregiver to those herbivores?

Oh, well; it was too late to refuse now, and Kyouya would just have to learn to deal with it.


	4. Chapter 4

The weeks had passed by and Kyouya could almost swear he was still living alone; the only time he would come across Bel was when the blond needed the bathroom. Their paths would cross and Bel would shoot his host one of the dirtiest glares Kyouya had ever seen. The skylark would simply raise an eyebrow and they would stare at each other in silence before Bel would back down and continue on his journey to the bathroom, leaving the taller male to go back to what he was doing also.

Kyouya liked how things were; he liked how having a guest didn't interfere with his job or routine because every time he had left for work or to do chores, he had always come back to find Bel exactly where he had left the other; the blond would still be in his bed, just like any other time.

What Kyouya didn't like, however, was the fact that, ever since he had been here, Bel had done nothing other than sleep. It was unhealthy to spend weeks upon weeks in bed, let alone spending all that time _sleeping_ , but the cop was educated enough to know that this was a huge red flag for the blond possibly being depressed – and if what the Sawada herbivore had told him was true, then it was very likely that he had someone severely depressed in his spare bedroom.

The skylark had no idea what he was supposed to do if that was the case; he knew what depression was, but what was expected of him? What was he supposed to do? Should he just leave Bel and see whether or not his guest snapped out of it? Or was he actually supposed to _do_ something about it?

Either way, Kyouya found himself rather annoyed at his subordinates for putting him in this position in the first place.

"What are you doing, Hibird?" Looking up at the fluffy yellow bird who had just landed on top of the book he was reading, Kyouya let a tiny smile break out over his lips as his pet chirped his name a few times. He glanced over at the clock on his nightstand, and he was surprised to see that it was getting very late; he had been so enthralled in his new book, time had just slipped away.

"Hibari! Hibari!" The bird ruffled its feathers as it continued chirping away before jumping a little and taking to the air once more in order to settle itself in its master's hair.

Kyouya put his book down on his lap before he grabbed the bookmark and carefully placed it between the pages, deciding that since it was nearing one o'clock, now would be a good time to go to sleep. He placed the book onto the nightstand and switched off the lamp before he made himself comfortable beneath his sheets. His eyes had only been closed for a few seconds before he took notice of the soft noises coming from somewhere within the house.

Kyouya got out of bed and to his feet. He moved to open his bedroom door as he realised now that the TV in the living room had been switched on. Looking over to Bel's bedroom, he noticed that the door was ajar, meaning the blond had willingly left his bedroom for the first time since his arrival here.

Kyouya shut the door once more and let it be; who knew what would happen if he were to disturb Bel now that the older male had finally left the room. However, when morning would come and he would go out into the living room once more, he wouldn't understand why he felt a little agitated to find his guest had retreated back to his bedroom some time throughout the night; all he would know was that it annoyed him to know that Bel had only come out because Kyouya hadn't been around.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Kyouya sat at his desk the next afternoon as he sifted through documents. He was feeling distracted, not knowing why he kept thinking about Bel and wondering if the blond was wandering the house now that he was gone. It wasn't that he didn't want his guest to wander, but it did frustrate him to speculate that Bel had only come out of his room last night because he had thought Kyouya was asleep; did the other have so little trust, he couldn't even leave the bedroom unless he believed no one else would know?

Finally deciding that he was going to have to swallow his pride for once, Kyouya pushed his paperwork to the side and grabbed his phone from his pocket. He sorted through his contacts before he found the one belonging to his once-mentor and ex-boyfriend, and hitting the call button, he lifted the phone to his ear.

It didn't take long at all for the call to be answered by a cheery voice. "Hey, Kyouya, what are you doing?"

"Hn…" Picking up a pen and scribbling listlessly at a sticky note, Kyouya hesitated before asking, "Has the Sawada herbivore told you?"

"Told me what?" There was confusion in the other's voice for a few seconds before he clicked on, saying, "About Belphegor?"

"Hn. I believe he has depression."

"Well, from what the guys told me, I would honestly be surprised if he didn't…" The sympathy in the voice belonging to Dino Cavallone was thick, and it made Kyouya uncomfortable; one of the main reasons their relationship hadn't worked out was because the skylark quite simply felt too awkward around such affection and open caring. "What is he doing?"

"He's just slept since he's been with me. He only came out of his room last night because he thought I was asleep."

"Kyouya, you can't let him sleep so much or else he's going to become more depressed. Try and get him out of his room, but make sure to show him that you aren't a threat to him first; he needs to be able to trust you."

"How am I supposed to do that?" The skylark genuinely had no idea how he was supposed to make someone feel at ease around him; his entire life he had been the one everyone feared due to how he had upheld his 'duty' as the law enforcer; he had never really had any friends, and though he tolerated a handful better than most, he still had never been particularly close to anyone – not even his own boyfriend at the time.

"Well, you need to be calm and patient with him, and you can't get mad at him, Kyouya." Dino was as gentle as ever, understanding how his ex was socially inept; this certainly wouldn't be easy for Kyouya. "Be very kind to him and give him attention; not too much so you don't overwhelm him, but enough for him to see that you acknowledge him. Have you interacted with him at all since he's been with you?"

"No. He sleeps, and that's all he does."

Dino sighed. "Well, what supplies does he have? Does he have any incentives to want to come out of his room in the first place?"

Thinking about it, Kyouya came to realise that he had been incredibly slack in caring for his guest; sure, he cooked the blond meals and would leave them on the nightstand, but Bel still had no clothing besides what he had arrived in and absolutely nothing to call his own; all he had was the material on his body. "…No… Nothing."

"Not even clothing to change into?" Dino couldn't help but feel sympathy for the blond at this; no wonder Bel was only sleeping; there was no motivation for him to get up at all. "Kyouya… Take him shopping and get him prepared for his stay with you. You can't leave him with nothing and expect him to be happy. Would _you_ want to get up in the mornings if you had nothing at all to look forward to?"

"…" Kyouya closed his eyes at this, knowing the answer; if he were in Bel's position, he would probably just sleep all the time, too. "How do I get him out of bed?"

"Talk to him and help him understand that you're here to help him. He's going to be dependent on you now; you need to prove to him that you're someone he can trust and count on."

Kyouya nodded, more to himself than anyone else. "I will take him to buy clothing tomorrow when I am free of work."

"Thank you, Kyouya. Let me know if you ever need any help; I'm always here for you." Dino was glad that his ex was cooperating; Kyouya was stubborn, and when he had heard that Bel had been left with him of all people, he had been very worried – but to his relief, at least Kyouya was trying.

"Hn…" Ending the call, Kyouya slid his phone back into his pocket before returning to his work, wondering how he was supposed to approach someone who apparently had all the reasons in the world to never trust another person again.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

It wasn't that Kyouya _wanted_ to stay up late that night; it was that, for whatever reason, he just couldn't sleep. He had tossed and turned and tried everything he could think of to sleep, but he just hadn't been able to do it.

But then, just like last night, he heard the TV in the living room turn on again. Kyouya listened to the sounds of some sort of program for what felt like an eternity before he decided now was a good time to get up and approach Bel; while the other was out of his room, the blond might feel a little more at ease if he weren't feeling as if his personal space was being disrespected – Kyouya could completely understand that kind of feeling.

Getting out of bed and walking through the hallway, he then turned into the living room and approached the back of the couch. Keeping quiet until he had walked around to stand in between the couch and the TV, he opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it as he took notice of the absolutely exhausted expression on Bel's face as the blond lay slumped over the couch, fast asleep with looks of distress mingling with his features.

"…" What was Kyouya supposed to do now? The other seemed to be having more nightmares; did he wake Bel up and get him back into his own bed? Or did he just leave him here to deal with it himself?

Finally deciding that, since it _was_ a cold night and Bel hadn't brought his blankets out, Kyouya could at least drape something over him to keep the chill away. Going back to the hallway and opening the linen cupboard, he pulled out a spare comforter and returned to Bel, tucking his guest in. He was surprised the smaller male didn't wake, but from the looks of things, Bel was probably a little sick; he looked paler than usual and his skin felt slightly clammy, with his breathing ragged.

Sincerely having no idea what to do now, Kyouya turned the volume down on the TV before retuning back to his room, wondering what the morning would bring; would Bel appreciate his actions, or would it only upset the other further?

Well, there was no point in worrying about it now; he would just wait to see what happened in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

When Kyouya awoke the next morning, he wasn't surprised to find that Bel had retreated back to his bedroom some time earlier and taken the spare comforter with him. Kyouya didn't mind; he was too busy thinking about how he was going to coax the other from his room and into town – while his nature screamed at him to let Bel take care of himself, he wasn't the kind of person to kick others while they're down, and he knew that if he didn't put his foot down and do _something_ to get the blond out of the bed for once, his guest would only become worse.

Deciding that the first order of business was to combat the smaller male's sleeping pattern, the skylark made a coffee and brought it to his guest's bedroom. He wasn't surprised when silence answered him after having knocked on the door; Bel had barely said anything since he had been here – he'd rather shout at and abuse the younger instead. Kyouya couldn't seem to find it in himself to be mad or offended; after all, he could only imagine the kind of emotions Bel had bottled up inside of him.

The first thing the skylark found after opening the door and stepping into the room was the blond sprawled out on his back beneath the blankets with one arm hanging down the side, fast asleep like usual. Trying to ignore the strange emotion he couldn't decipher that was steadily swelling within his chest, Kyouya said, "You can't spend your life sleeping, herbivore."

Bel, who had awoken seconds after his bedroom door had been opened, muttered something before he curled into a ball. He tugged his blankets tighter around him and looked out of the window to see that rain was drizzling onto his window. He didn't want to look at his host; he wanted to be left alone like always.

"I made you a coffee." Kyouya moved closer so that he could place the mug on the nightstand.

Bel shuddered; he remembered how Squalo seemed to _live_ on coffee, and just the thought of the man left anger to bubble up inside of him. "…"

"We need to go into town today. Drink your coffee and get ready." Get ready? How was Bel _supposed_ to get ready? The damn herbivore had _nothing_ to get ready _with_. Kyouya mentally scolded himself for his lack of thought; surely that would only agitate his guest even more. "Breakfast is almost ready."

Bel couldn't stop himself from turning around and backhanding the mug away from him. He cared nothing for the way it shattered against the wall opposite them and left a trail of coffee in its wake; all that mattered was getting the caffeine away from him. "I don't fucking drink that shit!"

Kyouya wasn't fazed; he had seen and heard much worse in his line of duty, and he could understand; Bel had been through too much to know how to socialise properly. The skylark respected that; there had been a time in his life where the concept of socialisation had been foreign to him, too. "We will leave after breakfast. Be at the dining table within ten minutes."

The younger truly hadn't expected for his guest to listen to him, but after turning around to go back to the kitchen and finish breakfast, he heard movement behind him as he begun to dish up the meal into two bowls. Kyouya had almost thought he was dreaming, but here Bel was, pulling out a chair at the dining table in order to sit.

As much as Kyouya would have loved to ask why the smaller male had finally decided to join him, the skylark knew better; if he were to put Bel on the spot, the other would probably retreat again and this time never come back out due to the feeling of threat he would most likely pick up. Instead, he grabbed the bowls and put one down in front of Bel. "Eat. Doesn't matter how much; eat _something_."

Bel scrunched his nose up as he looked at his meal. It wasn't that it looked or smelt bad because he knew from the handful of times he had reluctantly picked at his meals that Kyouya cooked well – his problem was that in having come out here, he had put himself into a situation he had so desperately avoided his whole life; never before had he approached someone of his own will, instead doing all he could to be left alone – even trying his damned hardest to kill himself just to get away from everyone.

Bel pushed the bowl away as he fought back the need to vomit; for as long as he could remember, he had had it beaten into him that he wasn't allowed to eat; he was allowed to pick at leftover scraps if they were ever presented to him, but trying to eat a meal such as this would earn him a bashing so severe, he would require a doctor's visit in order to fix the broken bones and sometimes even stab and gunshot wounds he would be left with. "I'm not hungry."

Kyouya hummed. He wasn't fooled because he could hear the lie in the blond's tone – he wasn't as high up in the police force as he was just because of his good looks after all. Instead of pointing this out, he instead said, "Well, I guess I can always buy you something in town if you would rather."

It was at these words Bel could feel the bile climbing his throat. He couldn't stop some of it from sneaking past his lips, and as embarrassed and ashamed as he was, he didn't refuse the napkin Kyouya handed him; hopefully if he could wipe it away, the other wouldn't notice he had just vomited a little – but who was he kidding? The skylark already knew – that's why he was handed a napkin in the first place… "…"

Kyouya said nothing about this; he instead looked down at his porridge as he listened to Bel shuffle around. He wondered what was going through the other's head; did Bel expect abuse of some sort for vomiting like that? A punishment for something he so clearly couldn't help? The older male seemed upset, but what about? The fact that he could be perceived as weak and pitiful in this moment? Kyouya knew how frustrating it was to be undermined, but his past was _vastly_ different to Bel's; they perceived things completely different, and they had been moulded into the person they were today because of their life experience, and the skylark was truly grateful to be able to say that _he_ had never been put in the positions he could only _imagine_ Bel had gone through.

Kyouya was far from surprised when his guest left the table silently a minute later. In fact, he had been expecting it; he knew it would have been a miracle if Bel had actually eaten with him. There was always time for him to learn to adjust, though; it certainly wouldn't happen overnight, and he would have to be more patient than he had ever been in his life.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Kyouya didn't like driving with Bel. The blond was fidgety and couldn't keep his fingers off anything in the car, much less sit still and keep his seatbelt fastened. The older male didn't talk which the cop was happy about, but Bel was a panicky passenger; it seemed that the further they got into town, the more fearful of other cars he was becoming since now there were vehicles all around them and the road was too congested for much safety gaps and escape plans if the need arose.

The skylark didn't think he had ever been so relieved to pull into a car park before; now that they were away from other moving vehicles, Bel had quietened down again and had gone back to opening and closing his air vent. Kyouya couldn't wrap his head around the fact that his guest seemed completely fascinated by the interior of his car; he had taken vehicles for granted and had never once stopped to think that there could be people out there – Bel's age, no less – who quite simply had no experience whatsoever with them – not even as a passenger.

"Don't play with that." Kyouya could see from the corner of his eye that Bel had flinched at the sudden scolding, but he didn't apologise; he wasn't going to say sorry for telling someone off when they had been about to lift the handbrake while the car was moving – it could have ended badly, and Kyouya would never be sorry for avoiding a potential crash. "Never lift it when the car is moving; you only lift it when the car is turned off."

Bel glared at Kyouya. He didn't like being told off. His fingers twitched with the need to pull the handbrake up just to spite the younger male, and though he knew it could lead to another beating, his hand shot out and he yanked it up as hard as he could; how _dare_ Kyouya think he could tell _him_ what to do.

As prepared for a beating as he was, Bel quickly fell into confusion when Kyouya simply sighed and lowered the handbrake without so much as a word to him; why was the other not screaming at him for disobeying?

The blond huffed as he lifted his leg and kicked the dashboard. It may have looked as if he were throwing a temper tantrum, but that wasn't the case; Bel had _bad_ anger issues, and when he got angry, he lashed out at anything and everything. Right now, he hadn't _completely_ flipped the lid, but he also couldn't _stand_ the unknown – and not having someone yell and scream and beat him for something was the most unknown thing he had _ever_ come across, and he desperately needed to understand. "Why aren't you yelling at me?!"

Kyouya gave the blond a serious look. He was silent for a few seconds before he said in a soft tone, "Don't do that again."

Bel didn't know how to reply to this; all he knew was that Kyouya was _not_ acting the way he was used to. He huffed again as he turned to glare at the outside world through the passenger window, wishing he could understand what was going on – in a way, he wished he had never been taken from the Varia because there, he knew and understood everything that they did to him.

But here? Bel was so daunted, so afraid of the things he didn't know, he didn't want to leave his bed – the only thing he was familiar with in his new life.

Kyouya said nothing until he had parked his car neatly between the two lines. He had purposely chosen a spot away from other cars because he didn't trust the blond to not push the door into something and not only did he want to be giving out his insurance details, he also didn't want marks on his Lexus.

"Come on, herbivore." Kyouya looked over Bel to make sure that the jacket he had lent the smaller male hid all of the blood stains and rips; he couldn't take the other into public looking like something out of a slasher film. To his relief; the only evidence of abuse left visible to the general public's eye was the bruising and cuts on Bel's face, neck and hands. "We're getting you new clothing before we do anything else."

Bel didn't want to get out of the car – hell, he hadn't even wanted to leave his _bedroom_ – but somehow, the promise of new clothing had been enough to eventually get him out of his bed and into the car; he hated the fabrics on his back with all his might, but it was either wear them, or lay in bed naked and invite Kyouya to rape him like everyone else always did.

Bel knew what option he would prefer, and if he would have to put up with the sick feeling of laying in his own dried blood, he would take it over anything else.

The blond didn't like getting out of the car. They were in underground parking, and the atmosphere of it didn't sit right with Bel at all; he felt claustrophobic when he realised that all he could see was other cars and no way for him to escape if he needed to. How could Kyouya _stand_ driving down here and subjecting himself to such things?

"Herbivore."

Bel blinked as he realised Kyouya had started walking already. He forced his legs into a small jog in order to catch up, but when he realised he was being led towards the entrance of a building, he couldn't help but stop; was he really ready to go in there so soon…?

"No…" Bel backed up and dropped his chin to his chest. His body was tense, and all he wanted in this moment was to die; why did he have to be born in the first place…? "I… N-no…"

Kyouya could see the sudden fear in his guest. Fear that wasn't hidden behind anger and hatred. No; this was pure, unbridled fright, and the skylark didn't know what to do about it; he wasn't used to being in such a situation because when it came to his job, these were the kinds of things he left for his subordinates to handle.

"It must have been hard for you."

Bel froze at the younger's voice. He left his head lowered, not wanting to look at Kyouya.

"Whatever they did to you. I know what the nurses said about your condition when you were taken away that day. I'm not completely clueless about what was done to you. Even if the nurses said nothing, I would still have made an educated guess. I doubt I would have been far from the truth."

"…" What had Bel been expecting? For people to never realise what he had lived through? To maybe somehow think nothing had ever happened to him and that was just how he was? It made him feel sick to know that people could see through his pain and guess at the things he had been put through. To know that he was nothing but a filthy whore…

Bel would _kill_ if it meant people never having to know about his sick history.

Kyouya wasn't oblivious to the emotions running through Bel; he was very well-trained to spot even the slightest of emotion in someone. "We're not all like that, herbivore. Some of us are decent people. Don't lump us all in because of a handful of sickos. But hey, if you want to live your life in depression and not give anyone else a chance, then so be it. It's your life. Live how you want – or, in your case, don't live at all and stay in bed all day and night feeling sorry for yourself."

Bel swallowed a thick lump in his throat. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he refused to let them show; he knew tears meant he was weak and pathetic, and he refused to show that in front of someone. He didn't want to give Kyouya reason to treat him the same way Squalo and Xanxus had, so if he had to follow the younger into that building to avoid the beatings and the rapes he had once never gone a day without, he would just have to try and stomach his crippling anxiety; he would rather that than be tied down to his bed and violated for hours on end by more than one person.

Kyouya was glad Bel finally started to follow him again; he wasn't in the mood for trying to coax the older male inside the shopping centre. When the blond was back by his side, he said, "It won't be too busy in there yet; it doesn't start to get crowded until school finishes."

That was one thing Bel was thankful for; he wasn't sure he could handle being crowded so soon. "…"

"What kind of clothing do you like?" Kyouya led the smaller male inside. He noticed the way Bel shivered as soon as the air conditioning hit him, and he quickly realised that the other was cold when Bel tugged his jacket tight around him.

Bel looked anywhere but at Kyouya. He was fascinated by his new surroundings, having never been in a shopping centre before. His obscured eyes drank in the escalators across from them and the many different stores that were on their right. He wanted to see what was in the open space to their left, but it was obscured by a wall that would block most of their vision until they walked around it. When he had taken in everything he possibly could about this new situation, he turned back to Kyouya and picked absentmindedly at his torn sleeve. "Stripes…"

Kyouya could recall all those years ago when he had met Bel for the first time that the blond had also been wearing stripes back then, too. He was surprised to hear this answer, believing that Bel was probably only wearing what he was to cover his body and that he wouldn't be able to stomach even the thought of stripes as he would associate them with the Varia – but here Bel was, proving Kyouya wrong on something.

"Anything with stripes?" Kyouya led Bel up one of the escalators.

"…" Bel looked away again. "…Shirts and jackets… Baggy, striped shirts and jackets…"

Kyouya nodded. He took Bel into the clothing store they were closest to, and once they had entered, he stood still. He expected for the smaller male to start looking around for clothing he liked, but instead Bel was standing with him. He blinked. "Aren't you going to start looking for something you like?"

Bel cocked his head to the side. He felt uncomfortable, having never been in this position before; Squalo would just buy him clothes and throw them at him so that whenever the mansion was raided, suspicions wouldn't be raised by a naked Bel who owned nothing at all. "…"

Kyouya sighed. He walked over to a padded bench in the middle of the store and sat down. He wasn't surprised when Bel followed him; he could already sense that the other was like a lost puppy beneath all that anger and hatred. He knew that the aggression Bel had only ever shown previous to today had been a ruse; showing a more vulnerable side like this must have only gotten him hurt more so Bel would have learnt the aggression in order to be perceived as anything but weak. When Bel was like this… he was actually… kind of cute. Sure, that anger and aggression was genuine at times, but Kyouya believed that so much of it was faked in order to hide just how helpless Bel _truly_ felt. "Go and have a look at the clothing. If you find anything you like, bring them to me and I'll help you find your size."

Bel pulled one of his hands from his pocket and raised it to his mouth. He chewed at his fingernails as he rocked slightly on the balls of his feet; there was just so much clothing to look at, and he didn't know where to start.

Kyouya understood, and like Dino had told him to do, he forced himself to be patient and nice to Bel. "What's wrong?"

Bel's voice quivered as he asked, "…Where do I begin…?"

The younger male pointed to a shelf with jeans. "Look over there for any pants you like. They're only along the walls so you can go around the store until you get back to where you started from."

Bel nodded. He left to go and have a look for pants, and when he returned a few minutes later to show Kyouya what he liked, he was next sent off to find some shirts while the police officer went along and gathered what he believed would be Bel's size in everything the blond had liked.

When Bel came back with a handful of shirts, Kyouya accepted them to check the size tags. "You really _do_ like stripes, don't you?"

Bel shuffled anxiously on the spot. "…"

"Go find some jackets or hoodies now in case you get cold." Kyouya was glad Bel was cooperating; he was sure neither of them would be in the mood for arguments and protests.

Just like the first two times, it didn't take Bel long at all to find a couple of jackets and a hoodie. Once Kyouya gathered the correct sizes for him, he went and paid for everything the blond had wanted.

"You still need pyjamas and a toothbrush." Kyouya made a list of things Bel would need, intending on getting everything today while the older male was peaceful.

Bel scrunched his nose up in distaste. "I've never had pyjamas or a toothbrush… Don't need them…"

Kyouya felt sick at these words; how could someone have never owned such small necessities…? "Yes, you _do_ need them – a toothbrush at least. Have you ever brushed your teeth before?"

Bel shook his head, and it was then Kyouya took notice of the dirty, decayed teeth in the blond's mouth. His expression was as stoic as usual, but inside he was frowning; how could someone let their _teeth_ get to that stage…? "Do your teeth hurt you?"

"All the time; especially if I'm eating…" Bel sighed.

"I'm taking you to the dentist; teeth like that can cause a stroke."

Bel was too tired to argue; he could already feel his exhaustion creeping up on him, and he desperately needed to rest. "…I gotta… I gotta sit…"

Kyouya said nothing as Bel made a beeline to the nearest seat. He could see the smaller male's face was turning an unhealthy shade of white, and with the way Bel was swaying, he wouldn't be surprised if the other collapsed. The skylark knew it was because Bel was only sleeping all the time and wasn't getting out of bed, and moving around so much like this would be an immense shock to his system.

"You sit here and rest." Kyouya looked around him to see what he could do in the meantime. When he noticed the shoe shop behind them, he suddenly remembered Bel's bare feet. "Can you see any shoes on display that you like?"

Bel looked to where the younger was pointing. His frown quickly disappeared when he noticed a pair of thigh-high boots; there were a lot of things he had never had before, shoes being one of them, but he really liked those boots.

"Those ones." Bel pointed them out.

Kyouya nodded. He stood up and entered the shoe store so that he could request permission to take a pair over to Bel and find his size. He was glad that the cashier was okay with it as long as Kyouya left his ID behind, and soon enough, the skylark was returning to the store to pay for the boots.

Bel was as quiet as ever as he admired the first footwear he had ever had on his feet. He looked up at Kyouya as he heard the other move from beside him. When he spoke, it was in the most confused tone Kyouya had ever heard. "Why are you buying me things…?"

How did Kyouya respond to that kind of question? He had never been asked it before. He closed his eyes before he said, "Because you're in _my_ care now, and I won't have your needs neglected any longer."

Bel didn't understand; this was all too much for him, and in his already-exhausted state, he just couldn't bring himself to get angry again; he had had enough of living the way he had back at the Varia Mansion, and whatever Kyouya was showing him right now, he truly hoped it would last; he preferred this over Squalo and Xanxus any day.

"I'm tired…" Bel leant back against the wall behind him.

"You stay here. I'm going to get you a toothbrush and some paste. Shampoo, too." Kyouya knew most people wouldn't leave someone like Bel alone in case the blond tried to run away, but somehow, the officer knew he had nothing to worry about; he trusted that the other would still be there when he came back.

Bel may have been a lot of things, but Kyouya knew an honest person when he saw one, and he didn't believe his guest would make any attempt at leaving – if he were going to, he would have done that long ago while Kyouya was at work.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

When Kyouya was satisfied he had gotten everything Bel needed, he had bought the smaller male lunch before he got the other into the car so that they could go home. Bel had only opened and closed the air vent a few times before he had fallen fast asleep in the car, and he hadn't woken until they had gotten home.

Kyouya wasn't surprised in the least when Bel went straight back to his bed and fell asleep again, but this time he understood; the blond truly had exerted a lot of energy today, and he deserved his rest.

The skylark would just have to wait for another day when the blond hadn't used up all of his energy already to find an incentive to start getting Bel out of bed. The only problem was, what _could_ he use as an incentive when Bel _truly_ had _nothing_ to get out of bed for?


	6. Chapter 6

Kyouya was disappointed to find that the somewhat docile Bel he had seen at the shopping centre had disappeared when they came home, and the blond went back to the aggressive, fearful male he had been for all this time. Kyouya didn't know what had sparked the sudden change in his guest that day, but what he _did_ know was that having bought Bel everything he needed hadn't changed very much; Bel might have been changing his clothing now, but that was only after he had slept in the same ones for a few days and could smell them starting to stink – Bel was still sleeping his life away, just like before.

Kyouya truly didn't know what to do; if not having what he needed was still not enough to coax Bel from his bed, then he was going to have to try another approach.

The skylark didn't enjoy letting himself into Bel's room and invading the other's privacy, but sometimes he had to do it; if he didn't walk in and leave food on the nightstand, then the blond wouldn't be eating, however little he only picked at every now and then. While he wasn't exactly here to leave food for his guest this time, he did bring the older male a hot chocolate; it was rather cold, and the violent storm they were experiencing wasn't helping matters much.

"Herbivore." Kyouya placed the mug on the nightstand. He was mindful of the last hot drink he had tried to offer the other, but he couldn't let that deter him; he would just have to find something Bel drank without any issues. "I will not allow you to spend so much time in your bed any longer. It's time for you to come out and start living your life."

Bel growled something before he pulled the blankets over his head. Small tufts of blond stuck out from beneath them, and Kyouya couldn't help but feel a strange emotion churn in his stomach at the sight; he couldn't explain it; he just knew that seeing such a childish act from the smaller male made him feel strange.

"Herbivore. You have a hot chocolate on the nightstand. I want you to drink that, and then go have a shower and join me in the living room."

"Fuck off…" The voice from beneath the blanket was quiet, tense. There was no doubt Bel felt threatened by the sudden change in his new routine; having Kyouya suddenly coming in to tell him what to do was probably not all that different from how he had gone through each day for the past eighteen years of his life.

Kyouya wondered if he had somehow unintentionally undone the progress Bel had made that day at the shopping centre. Was it something he was unconsciously doing in his home to get the blond so on edge? He didn't know, but he was going to find out.

"Herbivore, I –" Kyouya closed his mouth as he looked to the window above Bel. He raised an eyebrow as he heard loud squealing from outside, and though he knew it was coming from an animal, he wasn't sure what; he had never heard that sound before, but it sounded as if it were in pain.

The skylark didn't stick around to lecture Bel further; he left the room and hurried outside to see what was happening. It only took a minute to exit the house and arrive by the back veranda, and when he did, he found what looked to be two small animals fighting amongst themselves.

Kyouya knew to stay away when he realised that it was two minks attacking each other; if he were to try and intervene, he could be seriously injured. It wasn't that he _wanted_ to leave them be, but he knew better than to put himself at risk, too.

However, something he hadn't expected was for Bel to have followed him outside, much less for the blond to run at the animals, yelling at them. He looked to be as aggressive as ever, but when he managed to chase away the mink that had been winning, all violent auras vanished and instead was replaced by an air of innocence, perhaps even… _understanding_.

"What are you doing, herbivore?" Kyouya didn't move from where he was standing; he watched with careful eyes as Bel approached the injured mink. He was wary about letting the blond near it as he didn't trust his guest to not harm it, but somehow, the skylark knew it was going to be okay.

Bel no longer seemed threatening as he reached down to pick the mink up from the ground. He said nothing as he wrapped the bloodied creature in his shirt; he just took it back over to Kyouya before he growled, "Help him."

Kyouya only had to take one look at the mink before he realised that if they didn't do something soon, the animal was going to die in a very slow and painful manner; it had clearly been the weaker mink in the fight, and it looked as if it had been torn apart by its opponent.

"Bring it inside; I will call for a vet." To Kyouya's honest surprise, Bel didn't protest at the implication of a stranger coming to the house; the blond instead just turned around and walked back into the house with the mink still wrapped in his shirt.

Kyouya was a man of his word, and he didn't hesitate to dial the local veterinary's number. He was relieved to be told that someone would be there shortly, and with that done, he went to check on Bel. He found the older male seated on the couch in the living room, nursing the mink in his arms.

"How is it, herbivore?" The skylark moved closer to his guest. He could see that the striped shirt Bel was wearing was now stained in blood, the sticky liquid coating the blond's hands. The animal itself was twitching and writhing on Bel's lap, making small squeaking noises every now and then.

If Kyouya didn't know any better, he would almost think that from the expression on Bel's face, the damaged male was distressed; the corners of his lips were downturned, almost as if he were trying to frown but couldn't quite remember how.

Bel didn't respond to that question; he instead growled, "They need to hurry the fuck up…"

Kyouya raised his eyebrow. He couldn't stop himself from speaking what was on his mind. "I have not seen you like this. Why is it you care for this animal, herbivore?"

Bel seemed startled by the question. He tensed visibly, and a panicked aura seemed to fill the air around him for a brief moment before it was replaced by one of aggression again. "None of your business! Fuck off!"

Kyouya wasn't stupid, nor was he fooled; he knew exactly what Bel's problem was; he had seen it before in his line of duty. "That mink reminds you of yourself. You feel you can relate to what it's going through. Because you've been badly abused, too. The mink reminds you of when you've been injured, just like it, and how you just wanted someone to help you – like what you're doing right now for the animal."

Bel froze; how could someone read him so easily? It was true; he had been in the same position the mink was in, beaten and raped daily, and no one had ever come to save him; they just let it happen to him, and if they were in the mood, they would even join in on his torment. Having seen the mink being attacked so mercilessly…

Something inside of Bel had snapped, and all he wanted was to protect the mink with everything he had, unable to let it suffer the way _he_ had.

"…" Bel felt sick, _threatened_ ; if Kyouya could work that out about him so easily, then what else would the younger know?

"I cannot fault you for any of that." Kyouya was as sincere as ever. "Instead, I find it courageous of you to wish to help the mink. You have many reasons to not care, but you do. I can appreciate it."

Bel didn't know how to respond; he could only press himself against the back of the couch and stare down at his lap. He flinched when he saw the taller male move from the corner of his eye, but he relaxed again when he saw that the other was simply walking past the couch in order to go into the kitchen.

Bel didn't know how much time had passed until the vet arrived; just that, when they did, he was suddenly feeling very stressed again; what was he supposed to do if this stranger tried to harm him? He no longer had the strength to fight, due to having been kept in his bed for so many years; he knew he would be easily overpowered if someone tried to take advantage of him.

The blond had to force himself to remain in the living room to keep an eye on the mink; if anyone did something to it, he would have to try and intervene as best he could, no matter how frightened he was.

During the visit from the vet, Bel remained curled up on the couch as he watched with careful eyes. He was prepared for anything, knowing he couldn't trust people, but to his relief, he didn't have to move or even say anything; the mink's wounds were cleaned, stitched and bandaged, and the vet simply advised Kyouya about caring for the injuries before taking their leave.

Kyouya looked at Bel. He made no move to leave his chair; he simply said, "I take it you wish to care for the animal yourself. You heard what the vet said. I trust you don't need my help."

Bel nodded. He stood up to move from the couch and approach the mink that lay sedated on the living room floor, wrapped up in a towel to keep it warm. He said nothing; he simply reached down and picked it up to hold it against his chest in arms so gentle, he surprised even himself; he hadn't realised he was capable of touching something without the intention of causing harm.

Kyouya watched with careful eyes. He knew he couldn't afford to leave his guest unsupervised with the mink, because Bel probably knew nothing but violence and aggression and might not understand how to show anything else.

Bel was the one to break the silence. His voice was low, dangerous as usual, but there was also a hint of insecurity in it. "I'm keeping him; I'm not putting him back when he's better…"

Kyouya wasn't going to argue; he knew that as long as Bel looked after it, there was no problem in keeping it – and if the blond did anything he shouldn't, the skylark could always release the animal himself. "In that case, you should realise that your mink is actually a female and not a male."

The older male hummed, having not realised that. He didn't comment on being corrected; he just said, "I'm naming her Mink."

The skylark wasn't going to argue; all that mattered was that Bel was somewhat calm for once. He stood up from the chair, and he didn't miss the way his guest bristled at the movement; the smaller male probably believed he was about to be abused for what he had just said – if that was the kind of treatment Bel was used to, Kyouya shuddered to think about what exactly had been done to the older male.

"I will be going to start on lunch; I expect for you to have a shower and be dressed in fresh clothing by the time I am done." Kyouya wasn't going to force the smaller male; he knew that it would be only too easy for Bel to mistake the slightest movement for aggression.

Bel said nothing; he just growled quietly to himself as he moved back to the couch with Mink in his arms. He had no intention of doing as told; all he wanted to do was sit on the couch with his new pet. He didn't interact much with the sedated animal; all he really did was hold her close as he stared out of the living room window and out across the sprawling green paddocks that seemed endless. He was getting tired of staying in his room all the time, and now that he was slowly learning that it was _okay_ for him to come out of his bed every now and then, he wanted to go outside and explore – but just because Kyouya seemed okay with him coming into the living room _didn't_ mean the younger would allow him anywhere else, and he didn't want to risk punishment; his body that had once ached day and night in agony had finally been able to get the rest required to begin healing, and he didn't want to suffer any more.

Somehow, the warmth from such a tiny body against his had been enough to soothe Bel's festering heart, and when Kyouya brought out a plate of sushi to him not long later, he sat in silence and picked at it. He didn't speak to his host, but he did remain in the living room for a while until he fell asleep once more, his usual fatigue just too much for him to fight against any longer.


	7. Chapter 7

It was true Bel had started to do better behaviour-wise after he had rescued the mink, but the blond still wasn't listening to Kyouya when the skylark tried to tell him to take care of his hygiene; he instead ignored what his host was telling him to do and simply pretended as if he hadn't heard the taller male. Kyouya couldn't be sure, but he felt as if Bel trusted him just a tiny bit more for allowing the blond to keep Mink and not harming him for it.

Today, though, Kyouya had plans in town with Dino, and his ex wanted for Bel to join them to get him out of the house for a while; it truly saddened him to know how his fellow blond was cooped up inside all day every day, and he wanted for the younger to experience life for a change. Kyouya agreed; maybe if they could get Bel outside a little more, he could soon come to be happier.

While Kyouya continued getting ready for lunch, Bel sat out on the couch in the living room. He had Mink in his lap, holding a plate of food Kyouya had prepared for her earlier to eat. The blond didn't know how to express it, but he felt… _warm,_ knowing that his new pet was trusting him enough to lay so quietly with him. He was glad to see that, despite her injuries, Mink seemed to be doing well and was healing quickly.

Bel was as quiet as always as his attention drifted between Mink and the TV; it hadn't been until he had arrived here was he finally allowed to watch television, and he found that it always did a good job of keeping him occupied; he was fascinated by it.

The blond wasn't sure how much time had passed before he saw a red car coming through the gates and into Kyouya's driveway. He suddenly felt nervous, already knowing that someone was supposed to be coming out, but even so, he didn't want any visitors; he had had nightmares all night, and he was feeling a little on edge.

Kyouya, who must have seen the car from his bedroom window, came out to the living room to let his guest inside. Bel felt sick; was someone here to hurt him again? He felt so stupid for getting his hopes up and finally, _finally_ coming to believe he was no longer going to live that way again. He felt as if he could cry; his body was no longer in such severe pain all the time, and he could rest as much as he wanted without having to stress about when his bedroom door would open again and he would be subjected to the same thing he had his entire life.

"Belphegor?"

Bel looked up as he heard his name spoken by a voice that somehow sounded familiar, as if he had heard it long ago but had forgotten who it belonged to. However, his memory was photographic, and as soon as he saw the other blond stepping into the house, he remembered immediately who this was; the cop who had always raided Xanxus' premises. "Cavallone…"

"You remember me." Dino smiled in relief. "I'm glad. Kyouya's kept me updated; he said he's looking after you well. Are you happy here?"

How was Bel supposed to respond to such a question? It was certainly true that he would prefer to be here than anywhere else he had once been held captive in, but he still wouldn't say that he was _happy;_ what was even the _meaning_ of happiness? "…"

Dino didn't let the other's silence faze him; he knew that Bel probably viewed him the same way he did everyone else; as someone who only wanted to cause him harm. The younger blond didn't know how hard Dino had tried to get him away from Xanxus, but he had never been able to find enough evidence to remove him from their 'care' – to Bel, he was probably just another person who had known what was being done to him and willingly allowed him to suffer.

"We will be leaving in ten minutes." Kyouya's eyes wandered up and down Bel's frail form, pleased to see the blond was donning clean clothing today; he wasn't sure if the other had gotten dressed for lunch or not, but he wasn't going to question it because all that mattered was that Bel had done it of his own initiative. "Make sure Mink is in your room so she doesn't get Hibird."

If Bel were to be honest, he would admit that he didn't care whether or not Mink got that annoying little bird he always seemed to see in Kyouya's hair – but he knew when to keep his mouth shut, and he had learnt the hard way that commenting on other peoples' pets would earn him another hospital stay; Xanxus had shot him many times for talking about his cat, and Bel didn't trust Kyouya to not to do the same.

Dino was glad to see that Bel was doing as told without an argument; if the younger male was taking the mink to his bedroom peacefully, then it gave him hope that the damaged male may one day recover from the previous abuse. He waited until Bel had left the room before he turned to Kyouya and asked, "Is he okay with coming into town tody?"

Kyouya shrugged. He didn't reply verbally as he left to return to his room to finish getting ready; he knew Dino could entertain himself for a while.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

When it came time to leave, it soon became apparent that Bel didn't want to go anywhere, but neither Kyouya nor Dino were going to leave him home alone; Dino wanted to spend time with him, and while Kyouya wasn't too fussed, he didn't want for his guest to be cooped up inside all the time; it just wasn't nice.

"I'm not going!" Bel sat stubbornly on his bed with his arms folded against his chest. His nose was up in the air as he growled at the taller two; he didn't want to go anywhere with Dino, because how did he know the other blond wasn't going to try and take him back to Xanxus? If the ex-cop had ever cared about him, he would have tried to help him – instead, all Dino had ever done was snoop around the Varia Mansion for a while before leaving and letting Bel be beaten savagely, blamed for the cops showing up all the time.

Bel couldn't go back to that kind of life – he _couldn't_.

Dino, who was much more patient than Kyouya, smiled as he stood calmly by the bedroom door. "Ah, but Bel, Kyouya and I are going out for lunch, and I really want you to come with us. It'll be fun; much more fun than staying in your bed all the time."

Bel didn't believe those words; how could someone have fun during lunch? No… The real question was, how did one have fun at all? What consisted of fun? How did one know they were having fun? Instead of voicing his confusion, all he could do was lash out. "Fuck off! I'm not going back to Xanxus! You can't make me!"

Dino's smile faltered now, and he felt as if he were lost for words; is that what Bel's problem was? The younger honestly thought the stronger blond was here to harm him…? "…Bel…"

A loud sniff sounded from Bel before the smaller male's lips quivered in an attempt to frown. He whispered in the most heartbroken voice Dino had ever heard. "I won't… go back to _them…"_

The ex-cop's frown deepened as he saw the single tear roll down the smaller male's cheek. He knew it might only make things worse, but he couldn't help himself; he approached his fellow blond and leant down, wrapping his arms around a male so thin, Dino swore he could feel every bone in the younger's body. Bel tensed in his arms, but he didn't say anything; it was almost as if he had frozen up in shock.

"No one has ever hugged you before, have they?" Dino couldn't help but whisper; he could feel his heart breaking at the other's reaction to something so intimate. "Not even your parents…"

It took several seconds for Bel to respond, and when he did, it was in a choked voice. "They sold me to Xanxus..."

"I'm sorry…" Dino dropped his face so that he could rest it in Bel's soft golden locks. He truly wished he had been able to do something to rescue Bel all those years ago and help him, but nothing he had been able to do had been enough to get him away from his abusers. Maybe if something had been done sooner, and there had been someone to give Bel lots of love when he was still young and salvageable… Then maybe… Bel wouldn't be in so much agony… "I'm so sorry…"

Bel didn't know what to say. On one hand, he was afraid of such a constricting hold, but on the other… it almost felt… _secure_. As if he were _safe_ in those arms that just might be there to protect him from the world that had caused him so much pain…

Dino looked over his shoulder at Kyouya. "You should give him hugs, Kyouya; they might help him feel a little more comfortable with you."

Kyouya looked between the two blonds. He raised an eyebrow; did Dino forget how uncomfortable he was with physical contact? It had been one of the reasons their relationship hadn't worked out as the skylark had always rejected his boyfriend's affection. Sure, Bel was rather attractive – no, _very_ attractive, truly – but did Kyouya really want to be hugging the volatile blond? He didn't think so; it was just _way_ too far out of his comfort zone.

"I cannot." If Kyouya had looked over at Bel at that exact moment, he would have seen the crestfallen expression on his guest's face – but instead, he missed it, too focused on his ex. "I do not wish to touch him."

Bel didn't know why these words hurt him so much, but they felt like a knife had pierced his heart. Was that the only reason Kyouya had never abused him like everyone else in his life? Was he really that disgusting, that pathetic, that the skylark couldn't even stomach the idea of touching him? He knew that he was filthy, tainted, and that he was fucking _foul,_ but still… For some reason, the idea of having believed Kyouya had never harmed him because he genuinely _didn't want to_ caused him extreme pain to think that he could have been wrong and maybe his host just couldn't bear the thought of dirtying himself by coming close.

Dino, however, noticed, and it devastated him. "Don't be disheartened, Bel; Kyouya doesn't like touching people. It's not you; physical contact just makes him uncomfortable."

Bel could understand that; his whole life he had resented being touched, and even now, he didn't know why he couldn't be bothered pulling away from Cavallone's hold; was it because he was just so tired? Whatever the reason was, he just couldn't find the strength to fight anymore, and he could only mutter, "I hate being touched, too…"

Kyouya stepped further into the room at this. "You were abused. I wouldn't expect any less."

Bel didn't reply; he didn't know _how_. He just sighed and closed his eyes; maybe if he were lucky, the ground would open up and swallow him and he could finally be done with this life.

But life wasn't that generous to him, and all he could do was allow himself to be taken outside and to Dino's car.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Lunch at the café was going better than Kyouya had anticipated; while Bel still seemed to be moody, he wasn't being overly difficult; he just protested against being removed from the car and complained about the food and drink he had been bought. It had been frustrating to Kyouya, but he quickly understood why Bel was stressed; it became all too obvious when a couple from the back of the café started arguing within earshot.

"Belphegor?" Dino watched as Bel tensed and tried to make himself look smaller than he really was.

Bel said nothing; he simply stared down at his lap as his hands clenched into fists. He felt sick as he remembered all of the yelling and the violence from his past, and he wanted to escape – but he knew that if he so much as stood up, he was going to be beaten for it; Xanxus and Squalo always gave him beatings for things like that.

Kyouya, who was sitting next to Bel, extended his hand. He ghosted the tips of his fingers against his guest's arm for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of; all he knew was that he couldn't stand seeing the older male like this. "They are leaving, herbivore. They won't –"

"- Don't yell at me…"

Kyouya blinked; what was Bel talking about? No one was yelling at _him_. "Herbivore?"

Bel trembled slightly before he growled, in a manner that was more frightened than aggressive, "Don't fucking yell at me!"

"Bel, no one's yelling at you," Dino tried to soothe in a gentle tone. "Why would you think that you're being yelled at?"

Bel slowly lifted his head at these words. He looked between Kyouya and Dino, releasing that he had once again gotten lost inside his head. He let out a frustrated growl before he mumbled, "Everyone always yells at me… Why would it be any different here…?"

"What do they yell at you about?" Kyouya spoke in a quiet voice.

The blond couldn't help but scoff. "What _don't_ they yell at me about? I never came out of my bed, and they _still_ came into my room and yelled at me…" Bel's tone became bitter now. "They made sure I knew how pathetic and worthless I am, and they always told me how much they hate me… That the only reason they keep me around is so they can fuck me… And how they'd never dare touch me if I wasn't such a good fuck because I'm so ugly and disgusting… And… I might as well kill myself when they're bored of me because no one will ever love me…"

Kyouya didn't so much as blink; he had heard so many times things like this, and he couldn't help but lock his emotions away deep down inside of him. "Do you _want_ to die, herbivore?"

Bel bit his lip. He gripped his pant legs tightly as he looked back to his lap. When he spoke, it was in a most confused, heartbroken tone. "I… don't know… I want… to stop remembering… But I… I… I don't know how…"

"Do you want to _die?_ " Kyouya repeated the question.

"…" Bel sighed. He closed his eyes as he whispered, "Yes… I want… to stop feeling… Dying is the only way…"

"That's not true." The cop shook his head. "I _know_ there's another way."

Bel sniffed back a tear. He started to shake from his stress, and he wasn't sure if he had ever been so desperate to go back to bed before. "How...?"

The skylark reached out his hand. He held it in the air in front of Bel, but he made no move to touch the older male. Instead, he said in a confident tone, "Because you are no longer living the life that caused you so much suffering. If you let me, I can help you, but I cannot do that if you fight me all the time. I do not tell you what to do at home because I wish to control you; I only do it to _help_ you, but I cannot help you if you don't let me. If you let me, you will learn to be happy."

"How can I be happy with what _they_ did to me…?" Bel reached up to wipe at his eyes with the back of his hand. "They… They took everything away from me… My family… My _family_ never wanted me… They _sold_ me to them, knowing what they wanted me for… How am I supposed to be _happy…_?"

Dino was the one to speak at this. "It won't happen overnight. It's going to take a long time to heal from all of that. But if you can trust us and let us help you, you can have other things to think about. Things that you will feel happy and not distressed thinking about. Maybe not now… But some time in the future, you'll look back on all of that, and it won't hurt as much. It might not ever stop hurting you, but slowly over time, it'll ease. I promise you that."

"How am I supposed to trust you…? If I couldn't trust… my own _family_ …"

"One day you'll learn that we aren't like them, and little-by-little, you'll be comfortable with us, and even if you'll always be a little scared of other people, you'll trust that we aren't going to harm you. It's a long process, but you'll get there."

"…" Bel didn't reply; he simply wiped at his eyes again as he tried his hardest to stop crying. He couldn't remember the last time he had shed his tears because showing such weakness around his old captives had only ever earned him more suffering. He had been so young when he had learnt to lock his emotions away and show only anger, but he had become so good at it, he suspected he had forgotten _how_ to feel something other than anger and fear.

Dino smiled. "Belphegor, what is something you have always wanted to do in your life?"

Bel didn't even have to think about the question; he knew so little about the world, he was completely innocent in his desires for exploring the world. "I want to taste ice cream."

"You've never had ice cream before, herbivore?" Kyouya raised an eyebrow.

The younger blond shook his head. "I only got leftover scraps to eat every now and then; I've only had a couple of foods my whole life. But my brother… I always watched him get bowls of ice cream. I always wondered what it tastes like…"

Dino stood up, pretending not to notice the flinch the smaller male made at the action. "Come, Belphegor. We're going to get you ice cream."

Bel just stared in disbelief; did… Did he hear right…?

Kyouya put his hand out again. "Come."

For the first time in Belphegor's twenty-six years, he felt _trust_ towards someone else. For the first time in his life, he felt the warm, reassuring touch of someone taking his hand.

It was at that moment that Kyouya knew Bel could be salvaged with a lot of hard work and patience.


	8. Chapter 8

When Bel walked into the ice cream parlour, he was overwhelmed by all the different flavours of ice cream and toppings he could see, and he felt as if his brain stopped working; he wanted ice cream, but where did he begin? There was so much to try!

"We go to the counter and we tell the worker what flavour of ice cream we want," Dino explained. "Then we pay the worker and they give us our ice cream."

Bel didn't care about how things worked; all he wanted was his ice cream. He didn't respond to anyone who spoke to him as he hurried his pace so that he could view all of the different flavours; he was feeling so impatient, he wanted to break through the glass and take the tubs for himself.

The only thing stopping him from taking it all was the fact that he didn't know how the man on the other end of the counter would treat him if he did such a thing; for all he knew, the stranger could be just like Xanxus.

By now, Dino and Kyouya had come to Bel's side. Dino was the first to speak. "What flavour ice cream do you – oh, hold on; I've got a phone call."

Kyouya watched Dino leave the ice cream parlour in order to answer his phone. When the blond was out of sight, he turned back to his guest. "Choose a flavour and then tell the man what you want."

Bel cocked his head to the side. He could feel his mouth water as he scanned the seemingly endless amount of flavours, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't decide what he wanted to try first. "I want all of them."

"Sir, I cannot give you all of the flavours in one cone; you're going to have to choose between at least two of them." The man behind the register frowned. While he didn't intend on coming off as rude, Bel found his words to be rather aggressive; he felt as if he were being pushed around, just like how Squalo had always treated him.

"Fuck off!" Bel slammed his hands against the register. "Don't tell me what to do!"

Kyouya moved in between the two smaller males. He looked between them as he said to the cashier, "He is still learning how to socialise with other people. I will choose for him. Chocolate. Herbivore, go sit at the table and I will bring you your ice cream."

"I want my ice cream!" Bel stomped his foot against the ground, upset by the stranger's resistance to give him what he wanted; why did someone who didn't even _know_ him hate him so much?! "Give me my ice cream!"

"You will get your ice cream when you sit at the table. Go."

Bel didn't exactly want to do as Kyouya told him, but he also remembered what they had spoken about earlier; if the skylark had been sincere, now was his chance to prove it. The blond stomped his foot again, but he went to one of the tables at the back of the ice cream parlour. He watched how his host interacted with the stranger, not quite understanding why the black-haired male had to pass something to the man before he was given the ice cream, but he didn't think about for too long; Kyouya was coming back, with ice cream in hand.

Bel snatched the ice cream away from the younger when it was close enough. He tensed as he stuck his tongue out and took the first lick, and the second his hot muscle touched the sugary treat, he instantly understood why his brother had always wanted ice cream; he had already fallen in love with it.

Kyouya watched the older male devour the treat. He knew it was wrong of him to allow his eyes to focus on the way Bel licked at the sweet so… so _erotically,_ but he couldn't help himself; Bel was attractive, and the way he used his tongue so skilfully was a huge turn-on.

The skylark cleared his throat as he forced himself to look away; how could he think such dirty thoughts when he _knew_ what Bel had suffered through?

By now, Dino had come back inside, and he had three people behind him. When Bel looked to see who they were, he was surprised to find Takeshi among them. The younger blond cocked his head to the side again.

"Look who I found, Kyouya." Dino was as cheerful as ever as he led his friends over to the table. "They were out having lunch, too. Bel, you know Takeshi already. This is Tsuna and Hayato."

Bel didn't care for the newcomers; he just wanted to enjoy his ice cream. He was disappointed to find that he had finished it so quickly, and he couldn't help but pout; why couldn't he have more?

To his surprise, Kyouya thrust something out towards the smaller blond. When the skylark received a confused look, he said, "Go and buy another one. You have to pay for it with money. Give the herbivore this."

Takeshi stood up with his usual bright smile on his face. "I'll go with him, Hibari. Tsuna, Gokudera, do you guys want some ice cream, too?"

Bel didn't stay at the table to listen to what the others had to say; he wanted more ice cream. He went back to the counter, but even though he knew what he needed to say, it felt as if all coherent thought had left his head and he could only stand there and stare blankly; why had he agreed to getting his own ice cream? He had never done anything for himself before; how could he had tried to start _now_?

Takeshi was there to help him out, though. He smiled at the cashier as he said, "He wants another ice cream. You can choose the flavour; he won't mind."

Bel chewed at his lip as he watched the ice cream being scooped into the cone, and when he had random numbers thrown at him, he just didn't understand; why couldn't he have his ice cream?

"Belphegor, you need to pay for it before you can have it." Takeshi pointed to the coins in Bel's hand. "Give the man the money so you can have your ice cream."

When Bel simply continued to stand there, Takeshi reached into his own pocket in order to pay for Bel's ice cream. "I'm so sorry; this is his first time buying something. He's learning what to do."

The man behind the counter gave a shy smile as he nodded and took Takeshi's order next.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

The rest of the day had been uneventful as Bel had been so quiet when he was given ice cream after ice cream. The blond had consumed so much, he had gotten a stomach ache, so Dino and Kyouya took him back home so that he could rest. Now, while Bel slept in his bedroom with Mink, Dino sat in the living room so that he could talk to Kyouya.

"You know, I couldn't help but notice you paying more attention to Belphegor than you usually do to people." Dino smiled. "Is there a reason for that?"

Kyouya blinked. He sipped at his tea and took his time as he thought about the question; _was_ there a reason for that? At last, deciding to be as blunt as ever, he said, "I find his physical features appealing."

Dino couldn't help but let out a loud laugh. His eyes crinkled with happiness as he said, "So blonds are your type, Kyouya!"

The skylark sent the older male a glare. "I never said that. All I said is that he is appealing."

Dino's facial expression softened. "Are you interested in him, Kyouya?"

The younger male shrugged. "Why?"

"Because if you decide later on that you are, and you want to make a move on him, you know you're going to have to be very gentle and mindful of him. If you do the wrong thing, you could break him again. But Kyouya and gentle are never in the same sentence…"

Kyouya narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to save, Cavallone?"

Dino rubbed his cheek. "I just… Kyouya, _you_ know you haven't had the nicest life, either… I honestly don't know if you two would be good together; you might not know how to give him what he needs – because what he needs is… Well, _love_."

"You think I cannot give him that?" Kyouya's eyes narrowed further. "What makes you think I can't?"

"Kyouya…" The blond sighed. "Kyouya, why did our relationship not work out? You pretty much wanted nothing to do with me! All you really wanted was sex, and then you would just leave. I honestly felt like… I don't know, like you were just using me or something… It hurt, Kyouya… And if you try and go down the same path with Bel, it'll be over before it even starts because I can guarantee you he will _not_ want sex for a long time – maybe he'll never want it again in his _life_. I don't even know if he'll want to _date_ …"

"I'm well aware that the herbivore will probably never sleep with me, and that's why I will never tell him any of this." Kyouya stood up to take his cup to the kitchen. "Whether or not I wish to be more with him is irrelevant; if it ever does come to that, he will not know. Why should I cause him stress when nothing good will come out of it? If you're only here to lecture me, go home, Cavallone. I have reports I need to look over."

Dino sighed, but he had no intention of going home; he was going to stay here and spend more time with his ex because Kyouya was so distant and cut off from the world, that the skylark truly needed more people time in his life, whether he realised it or not.


	9. Chapter 9

"Herbivore. Wake up."

Bel cracked an eyelid open as he heard Kyouya's voice. His room was still dark, and the clock he had been bought the day previous that was now sitting on his new bedside table flashed five o'clock. He groaned.

"Herbivore, get in the shower and get dressed. We're leaving soon."

"Go 'way…" Bel rolled onto his side so that his back was to his host. He was too tired to wake up, the tablets he had taken having knocked him out cold and given him the first unbroken sleep he had had in – well, maybe his entire _life_. "Tired…"

"We have a long drive ahead of us; get up and get ready." Kyouya flicked the bedroom light on.

Bel frowned. "What…? Why…?"

"I have to attend a conference, and I am not leaving you here alone for so long. You are coming with me."

"I don't wanna…!"

Kyouya rolled his eyes. He stepped away from the door he was standing next to and approached the bed so that he could pull the blankets away from his guest. "Don't be so childish, herbivore. Get up."

It wasn't until the skylark saw just how exhausted and weak the older male truly was did he finally relent in his demands. He sighed. "Fine. I will gather clothing for you and put it in the car. You may shower at the hotel we will be staying at when we get there, but no later."

Bel barely heard these words; he had simply collapsed back into a deep sleep, unable to wake up after finally, _finally_ experiencing a pleasant sleep.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

The car ride had been mostly silent. Bel had slept through most of it, and after he had woken up, he just stared out of the window and watched the world go by. He had been getting better in cars, less fearful of other vehicles, but he still annoyed Kyouya at times by playing with everything he could reach. Today, however, the blond seemed too tired to want to do much.

"We are almost there." Kyouya glanced at the smaller male from the corner of his eye. "We'll go straight to our hotel; the conference doesn't start until tomorrow."

Bel sighed. "Why did you wake me up so early if we don't have to be there until tomorrow…?"

Kyouya didn't reply, and Bel was too tired to push it; he just wanted to sleep.

"What's a conference?" The blond turned away from the window to look at the other.

"An information session. It is being held to discuss my job; we are looking at changing things and bringing new things in."

Bel nodded. He wasn't very interested; he just wanted to know what a conference was. "Sounds boring."

Kyouya shrugged. "What do you want for lunch?"

"Not hungry…" Bel felt sick at the idea of eating; he was scared, terrified of the possibility that Kyouya was lying to him and was only transporting him to someone else. It made him remember things he wished he didn't, and he wanted to die.

"Fair enough." Kyouya didn't press the matter; he could respect that Bel may be feeling disconcerted by all of this without having been told beforehand; he himself often felt the same way with these sorts of things.

Bel sighed. He turned back to the window, not interested in talking; he just wanted to sit there and try not to feel so sick.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

When at last they arrived at the hotel, Kyouya checked them in and they went up to their room. On the way up, they were stopped by someone calling the skylark's name.

"Kyouya, I should have known you would show up."

Bel growled at the blue-haired male standing behind them. They were tall, with heterochromatic eyes, and their hair spiked up at the back. There was something about them he didn't trust, and his every instinct was telling him to kill; kill the other before they got him, first.

"What are _you_ doing here, herbivore?" Kyouya narrowed his eyes.

"Same reason you are." The newcomer moved forward, and Bel couldn't help but snarl. He received a sly smirk in response. "He is cute, Kyouya. I always knew you had a thing for blonds."

"You are mistaken, as usual; I am caring for him; nothing more."

"Kufufu~" The stranger's mismatched eyes narrowed in what Bel could recognise as malice; he had seen it all the time before he had been taken away from Xanxus. "You make him sound like he is a child, Kyouya. Come on, just be honest; you fuck him every night, don't you?"

Before Kyouya could even reply, Bel lunged past him and charged at the blue-haired male, but despite how much anger he had inside him, he had been so badly neglected for his life, he didn't have the strength to free himself from Kyouya's arms when the younger male pulled him back.

"Ti cazzo ucciderti! Rifiuti!"

Kyouya didn't understand what Bel was yelling about as he had never bothered to learn Italian, but even if he didn't understand, he knew that the man standing before them would; the other was Italian, and whatever Bel was saying was enough to make him snigger. The blue-haired man replied back in Italian, and his comment only seemed to make Bel angrier.

It was then Kyouya decided it was time to leave, because if they stayed around, he himself was going to lose his temper, too; he knew the other all too well, and they conflicted dangerously. "Come, herbivore. We're going to our room."

Surprisingly, Bel allowed himself to be pulled away, and while he trembled in anger as they walked, he soon calmed down when they entered their room; there was no one else in there, and so far it didn't look as if he were about to be given to someone else.

Kyouya moved to sit on the bed closest to the door. He dropped his bags next to him as he looked out onto the balcony, but when he felt the mattress dip next to him, he quickly tensed and looked back beside him; why was Bel so close all of a sudden?

"What, herbivore?" Kyouya instinctively pushed himself away from the smaller male; he all of a sudden felt too crowded and needed his space.

Bel didn't take the hint; he instead followed the other as he stared at Kyouya with a blank expression. "Who was that?"

"Mukuro Rokudo. A herbivore you are better off having nothing to do with." Kyouya felt sick; why couldn't Bel give him room? The blond himself hated people near him, so why was he doing this?

"You grabbed me before." Bel blinked beneath his long bangs. His voice was stoic, but Kyouya could still sense desperation in the older male. "That's the first time… you've touched me…"

Kyouya blinked. "…"

"Why don't… Why don't you touch me? Am I… disgusting…? I don't understand… Everyone always touched me… when I didn't want them do… They did… really bad things to me… But you don't like to come near me…"

"It's complicated, herbivore. I am not disgusted by you; I simply do not feel comfortable around others."

Bel disregarded those last words and instead moved forward. He lowered himself so that he was able to rest his head against Kyouya's chest and listen to the younger's heartbeat, the same thing he had done with Dino that time. "No one… ever made me feel safe around them… They just hurt me…"

"What did they do to you?" Kyouya was stiff, and he made no move to embrace the smaller male; he didn't like this contact at all, but unlike whenever Dino had tried to hug him, he didn't attack Bel; he allowed the other to do this.

Bel was silent for a few moments before he looked to the balcony. He spoke in a bitter tone. "What did Squalo tell you happened with my balcony?"

"He said you fell off it, but you didn't, did you?"

Bel shrugged. "Don't know… I can't remember much… Even after it happened… It's just a blur… I remember standing on it, and… And then… Blackness… Lots of pain… And waking up in my bed…"

Kyouya closed his eyes; did he dare reveal that one of the motivating factors for him to have joined the police force in the first place was because he understood what it was like to be in Bel's situation? Maybe it had never been as bad as the blond's childhood, but still, Kyouya had lived with his uncle as a teenager due to his parents. Part of him had been able to reign his anger towards them and instead use it as a means to help people in the same position. It was a dark secret of his no one else knew about, not even Dino. "…"

The blond sighed. "…I… I like… being close to you…" To Kyouya's disbelief, the older male's tone was shy, a hint of childish innocence buried deep within it, and it was enough to break through the skylark's icy exterior and wrap his arms around Bel.

Bel was stunned for several seconds, having never imagined the younger male would hug him back. He wasn't surprised that the hug only lasted for a few seconds, but he didn't complain; he had still enjoyed it.

"Cavallone was the first to touch me and not hurt me…" Bel dropped his head against Kyouya's shoulder. "It made me wonder… What is it like to not be afraid of touch…?"

"I don't know." Kyouya backed away from the older male at this. "Ask Cavallone."

"You're afraid of touch, too…?" There was a hopeful tone in Bel's voice, as if he wanted to hear that, yes; someone else could understand him.

"It is not that I'm afraid of it; it simply makes me uncomfortable." With that said, Kyouya stood up. "Go have your shower and get ready for lunch. We will find somewhere quiet to eat."

Bel didn't feel like arguing; maybe if he obeyed, Kyouya would be kind enough to let him have another nap before lunch.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Bel had been oddly well-behaved all day, and as soon as they had eaten dinner, he had taken his sleeping pills and gone to bed. While he was resting peacefully beneath his blankets, Kyouya wasn't; the skylark was too busy staring through the darkness of the hotel room in Bel's general direction. It was rare for his mind to be clouded by someone else, but tonight, he found that he couldn't stop thinking about the blond. He wanted to know more about the damaged male, to feel his skin, to taste the flavour of his mouth, and to feel how tight he was - but Kyouya knew he couldn't do any of that; if he tried, Bel would lash out and all of the progress that had been made with him may be reversed.

No; Kyouya was going to have to wait for Bel to come to him – but would that ever happen? He could dream.


	10. Chapter 10

Bel hadn't needed to leave Kyouya's car in order to realise that this 'conference' they were going to was going to be too much for him; it was too crowded, too many strangers about and not enough places for him to hide. How Kyouya had managed to coax him out of the car and into the building, he would never know, but what he _did_ know was that he had never felt so claustrophobic, he couldn't help but cling desperately to someone – in this case, it was the skylark.

"What is your name?"

Kyouya made eye contact with the woman in charge of check-ins. "Hibari Kyouya."

The woman looked at Bel, who was hidden behind the younger male. "And him? Is he on the list, too?"

"Belphegor."

"I can't see him on the list. What is his last name?"

"He does not have a last name; we believe he has been orphaned as a child. I definitely registered him alongside me." Kyouya glanced to Bel as he felt the smaller male's grip on his arm tighten; was the blond afraid of being separated?

"Oh, yes, here he is." The woman spared a glance at Bel. "Go right in."

Kyouya said nothing as he did as told; he wasn't in the mood for stuffing around. He tensed as he felt Bel press closer to him, but he remained silent; he understood that, like himself, the blond was very uncomfortable with how many other people were crammed into the building with them.

"We're going straight to our seats; I do not like the crowding, either."

Bel was growing more distressed by the minute; it was too busy, too loud – too _familiar_. Even when he was seated in a chair an unknown amount of time later, he couldn't stop shaking; all he could do was remember.

Around him, the chairs started filling and chatter spread through the air once more. Kyouya watched the blond from the corner of his eye, knowing that something was wrong; he had been trying to talk to Bel, but he knew the smaller male wasn't ignoring him; the other simply wasn't hearing him.

Slowly, the world around Bel became nothing but a muffled blur as he heard deafening echoes and saw visions of his past in reality's place. If he looked hard enough, he could see his young self standing on that podium, naked and restrained as he was paraded around in front of countless eyes that devoured him whole. _"Starting bid, one-thousand euros…"_

All of a sudden, reality hit him like a ton of bricks when he heard the megaphone blast through the conference room. His eyes widened as he felt bile climb its way up his throat, and there was nothing he could do to stop himself from vomiting. The room went silent as all eyes turned to the blond, and Kyouya _hated_ the judging atmosphere around them; for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of, he didn't like to think that people were judging _his_ herbivore for something like this.

Wait… _His_ herbivore?

Kyouya shook his head; now wasn't the time to think about those kinds of things. He instead waited until Bel had stopped vomiting before he reached out and pulled the smaller male to his feet. "Come; we are going to get fresh air."

Bel couldn't protest; he was too busy crying as emotions he hadn't thought about in years slammed into him like an express train driving through a car on the tracks. He barely noticed as they left the conference room; all he could really acknowledge was that he was walking with Kyouya.

The skylark didn't hesitate to take Bel to the bathroom so that the older male could clean himself up; he wasn't going to let anyone see Bel in such a vulnerable state. No one said anything once they had walked into the bathroom; they simply stood by the hand basins, Kyouya waiting patiently for his guest to calm down. It took a while, but eventually, the blond was able to take deep breaths as he tried his hardest to stop his tears.

"Why'd you… bring me here…?" Bel wiped at his eyes. He was still trembling, but he had finally made it back to reality.

"Because I won't leave you in a position that has upset you like this." Kyouya shook his head.

"…" The blond slid down the wall he had been leaning against. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, not knowing what to say; he hadn't expected for Kyouya to do something like that for him.

Kyouya wasn't one to pry. "I am here if you want someone to listen."

Bel truly didn't understand those words; listen to _what?_ "What do you mean…?"

"Whatever is bothering you. If you want to talk about it, I will listen to you."

Bel sniffed. He didn't know why those words stung; was it because no one had ever said something like that to him before? Was it because for his whole life, he had believed he wasn't allowed to talk about his pain? That it would only get him hurt worse if he were to admit he was suffering?

But for reasons he couldn't understand, it was getting harder and harder for him to lock everything away behind his angry façade, and he felt like he was going to explode. His voice cracked as he tried to speak, but he couldn't get many words out before it became too hard to talk past the lump in his throat.

Kyouya, however, knew enough about these kinds of situations to know that all Bel may need was a push to finally open up to someone. "The first time I saw you, I believed you had come from a child trafficking ring ran by Xanxus. Am I correct?"

Bel was silent for several moments before he nodded. He let out a loud sob before he whimpered out, "W-where we just were… It was just like… just like at the auctions…"

"You were auctioned?" Kyouya didn't judge; it wasn't Bel's fault he was in this position.

"…Lots of times… I always went back to Xanxus… Because everyone who bought me… Couldn't break me properly… They didn't want someone… who wouldn't do as told… In the end, Xanxus decided to keep me for himself…"

"You were reminded of all that because of this place." Kyouya closed his eyes. "How many times have you been auctioned?"

"…Twenty-six times…" Hot tears trailed down Bel's cheeks. "Twenty-six people I was beaten and raped by every day…"

"How old were you?" Did Kyouya want to hear the answer? Of course not. He was sickened enough already.

"I was eight when my parents sold me to Xanxus the first time…" Bel's hands shook violently as he remembered so much he had tried to never think about. "Before that, my parents… were no better than Xanxus…"

"They abused you in the same manner." Kyouya closed his eyes when he was given a hesitant nod. "You never knew anything different until you were taken away from Xanxus. All you knew was suffering. Herbivore… It gets better in time."

Bel gave Kyouya the most heartbroken expression he had ever donned. "How do you know that…? It only… got worse for me…"

"Because I've been through bad things, too." Kyouya sat by Bel's side. "I have lived with my uncle for my teenage years because my parents were abusive, too. It was different to your situation; I was never sexually violated, nor have I been by anyone, but I have been physically and emotionally abused, too. I was in… a mental state similar to yours. I was very angry, and I had no friends because of it. I didn't really understand _how_ to make friends, and if I ever tried, I only seemed to make enemies. But things became better for me because I was living with my uncle. He helped me a lot, and he taught me how to talk to people. I am still… not very good at it… But I have made… friends…"

Bel licked his lips. He whispered, in a fearful manner, "Am I… your friend…?"

"Yes, herbivore. I wouldn't be here with you now if you weren't." Kyouya, for the first time since he had been with Bel, reached his hand out. He hesitated, but he was able to pat blond locks for a split second before he pulled his hand back to himself. He cleared his throat. "My uncle often patted my head when I was young. He said it showed kindness."

"Kind…ness…?" Not once in his life had Bel ever heard those words, and he felt uncomfortable; what was this… _kindness_ Kyouya was speaking of?

"Fon once explained it to me as making someone feel loved and safe instead of in danger." Kyouya glanced at his wristwatch. "Will you come back into the conference room? It is nothing like your childhood."

Bel licked his lips before he looked to his lap. "…Can… we stay away from everyone…?"

Kyouya nodded, glad to agree; he had hated sitting in amongst so many people, too. "We will stand along the back wall. Wash your face and we will go."

The blond did as told; he couldn't stand the feeling of things clinging to his skin because only too many times had he been left covered in other men's semen when he was barely a child. He stood up and moved to the hand basins, making sure to wash away as much vomit as he could before he returned back to the conference room with Kyouya. He felt much better about being there now that they were standing by the back wall away from everyone else, and when the event ended, the skylark made sure to leave a few minutes early in order to avoid the crowd.

Bel didn't know to say thank you, but he was appreciative of Kyouya's actions; he wasn't sure he would have been able to handle it if he were brought back to their original seats.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

For the rest of the day, Bel had been quiet. They hadn't left their hotel room for anything other than meals, and upon returning, the blond had watched television while Kyouya worked at reports. The skylark had been enjoying the peace, but he was soon distracted from it when he felt a hesitant tug at his sleeve.

"What is it?" Kyouya raised his eyebrow as he noticed the uncomfortable expression on Bel's face.

Bel fidgeted for a few seconds before he asked in a quiet manner, "How does… 'friends' work?"

Kyouya blinked. "I… still do not quite understand it myself; you will be better to ask one of those herbivores as they will know more than I do. However… I believe my uncle said it has to do with trust…"

"Trust…" If Bel could remember how to frown, he would. "…As in… knowing they will not hurt you…?"

"Yes."

"How do I know… if I can be friends with someone? Is it a mutual thing?"

"You will be happy around someone if you can be friends with them. Or at least, you will feel at peace. And I do not know the answer to your last question."

"I… don't think I am happy…" Bel sighed. "I don't know how to be happy… But when I'm with you now, I don't feel so angry… So scared… Will I ever be… happy…?"

"If you want to be happy, you work hard at it. It won't be a quick process, but soon, you'll find yourself smiling without even realising it. It happens when you least expect it, so don't give up, herbivore."

Bel nodded. He rubbed his stomach before he went back to his bed so that he could watch more TV. He thought a little bit on what he had spoken to Kyouya about, and he wondered… Would he maybe… one day…

Have a _friend_? Part of him hoped so; he didn't want to be in pain any longer.


	11. Chapter 11

The police station was a big building, Bel was finding. He wasn't sure if it were as big as the Varia Mansion because he had never been outside to see it before; he had only ever stared out of his window out to the woodland behind it. However, one thing he did know was that he would prefer to be at the police station than back with Xanxus any day; he could actually walk through the corridors with Kyouya without looking over his shoulder in fear.

"I have sent emails to everyone informing them of your presence." Kyouya stopped by his office door so that he could unlock it. "No one will bother you if you choose to wander by yourself."

Bel was curious about his new surroundings, but he was wary of going somewhere alone; what if someone attacked him? "…"

Kyouya pushed the door open before he said, "Those herbivores are here somewhere. The ones who got you to me. Knowing them, they will be in the tearoom. I'm going to be busy for a while; you may talk to them."

Bel frowned; did he really want to leave Kyouya? But at the same time, he _did_ want to have a look around… "Where's the tearoom…?"

"Go back the way we came and it's the last door on the left before the first turn." The skylark sat down at his desk. "I will not be leaving here; return when you're ready."

Bel nodded. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his new jacket as he turned around to find the tearoom. He was nervous, but he wanted to be able to believe Kyouya when the younger told him that no one was going to hurt him here. It wasn't easy for him to be able to leave by himself, but despite how frightened he was of being alone, he was still able to eventually find his way to the tearoom and enter.

It was only the three officers he was already familiar with in there, and it made it easier for Bel to lean against the wall by the doorway in case he needed to make a quick escape back to Kyouya. He watched as Tsuna dropped his coffee after only just making it, and he couldn't help but wince; was the brunet going to get mad like Squalo did whenever the long-haired man hadn't had his coffee…?

"Oh, shoot." Tsuna sighed as he picked the cup up from the ground and took it to the sink to wash it. "Such a waste… Oh, Bel? What are you doing here?"

Takeshi and Hayato were seated at the table in the back of the room. They looked around when they heard their friend speak, and while the silver-haired male couldn't help but scowl at the sight of Bel, Takeshi looked joyful. "Hey, Bel! We read an email saying Hibari was bringing you here today. Did you find us okay?"

Bel nodded. His hands started to shake from nerves as he looked to his feet; how was he supposed to act without Kyouya there to help him? "…"

Takeshi patted the empty seat next to him. "Come and sit with us, Bel. We'll make you a coffee."

Bel tensed. He lifted his head and growled in an aggressive tone, "I don't _drink_ coffee…"

The Japanese male wasn't deterred from his quest in making the older male feel comfortable with them. "Well, we also have tea and hot chocolate, too. Unless you'd prefer a cold drink? We have juice, soda and milk."

The blond licked his lips. His mouth moved wordlessly for several seconds before he finally was able to mutter out his wishes. "Milk…"

"I'll get you a glass." Tsuna put his own coffee on hold as he moved to get a fresh cup from the shelf and the carton of milk from the fridge. He poured a glass of milk before he fetched a plate and some cookies from the cupboard; he knew Bel was still having trouble eating and probably needed something to snack on. He took them over to the table and sat them next to Takeshi. "Come on, Bel; come sit with us."

All the brunet received in response was a shake of the head and shifting of weight from foot to foot. Takeshi, however, was the one to click on to Bel's actions. "Is it painful for you to sit on hard surfaces?"

Bel nodded; how had Takeshi read him so easily? "…"

Tsuna didn't hesitate to fetch one of the cushions off the couch on the other side of the room. He put it down on Bel's seat before he backed away. "That'll be easier on your backside, Belphegor."

The older male tentatively approached the table. He took a deep breath before he sat down, but when he did, he was pleased to feel the softness beneath him; he didn't like to sit or stand for long and instead preferred to lay down because a lot of damage had been done to his rear, and he didn't know if it would ever heal and stop causing him pain.

"Does Hibari know it hurts you to sit?"

"…" Bel sighed. "Don't wanna tell him…"

"Why not? If it's hurting you to sit, you should see a doctor; there could be leftover damage."

The smaller male shuddered; he hated doctors so much… "They won't help me… The doctor… The doctor that worked for Xanxus… He was only there so that… so that everything they did to me… could be hidden…"

The three young officers all shared looks with each other. When Hayato spoke, it was in a quiet voice. "Tenth… Shamal could…"

Tsuna nodded, knowing what his friend was saying; it was a long shot, but they might know someone who could help Bel. "Belphegor, we know a doctor named Shamal. He doesn't usually treat males, but… If you want us to, we can see if he will help you."

These words made Bel feel nauseas. He didn't quite understand it, but the idea of having a doctor actually _help_ him made him sick. Was it because he felt afraid of them? The only doctor he had known in his life hadn't cared about him and only wanted the money he was being paid to hide the evidence that Bel was abused.

How could doctors be trusted? They didn't care about their patients; they only wanted what they themselves could get from it.

Tsuna didn't expect a response. He smiled as he looked to the blond. "We'll talk to Hibari-san about it and see what he thinks. It will be good for a doctor to be able to help you; they can make sure you're going to be okay."

Bel didn't want to argue; he was really liking the peaceful atmosphere he was slowly getting used to, and he didn't seem to have the energy to go back to everything he was used to. Instead, he just picked up a cookie and dipped it into his milk, remaining silent as he listened to the younger three talk amongst themselves. He felt as if he had done all the socialising he could manage; for now, he just wanted to sit quietly and nibble at his cookies.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Kyouya wasn't surprised when Tsuna escorted Bel back to his office an hour or two later; he knew that the brunet and his group were heading out in the vans and they probably didn't want to leave Bel wandering the station alone when he knew no one else.

"Hibari-san, we're going out on patrol." Tsuna waited until Bel had sat down on the couch against the side wall before he started backing out of the office. "We gave Belphegor some milk and cookies earlier and he's sat quietly in the tearoom with us."

The skylark nodded in approval. He placed his pen down on the desk as he looked at his officer. "When you get back, take him with your group for lunch so he is entertained."

Tsuna had no intention of arguing; he didn't mind letting Bel stay with them as long as the blond was calm and relaxed. "We will. Also, we're going to talk to Shamal tonight; Belphegor revealed it's painful for him to sit but he's too afraid of doctors. We figured if he sees someone we know, it might make him feel more at ease."

Kyouya raised his eyebrow. He turned to Bel. "You are in pain, herbivore? Why didn't you tell me?"

Bel didn't reply; he instead looked at his lap as he gripped his pant legs tightly.

"Don't be hard on him, Hibari-san; he didn't realise you would help him feel better if he told you."

"Herbivore, if you are in pain, I expect you to tell me." The skylark waved his hand dismissively at Tsuna. He waited for the brunet to leave before he said, "It hurts because you were raped so many times, doesn't it?"

Bel nodded. He still didn't look at Kyouya; he just tightened his grip on his pant legs as he licked his lips in anxiety. "…"

"You are embarrassed." Kyouya wasn't surprised to receive a hesitant nod in response. "About having been raped or being in pain?"

"…" Bel finally lifted his head. "...Both…"

The younger male extended his hand. "Come here."

The blond was wary, but he did as told. He stopped just before Kyouya, and when a larger hand reached out to grip his, he flinched. He couldn't help but tremble; he was afraid, and he didn't know what else to expect other than suffering. "…"

Kyouya tugged the smaller male closer. "You are not your past, herbivore. You are in pain – mentally and physically. But what was done to you will no longer happen, and it does not define you. You have nothing to feel ashamed about; I have seen it happen to many people, and it was never their fault. They did nothing to deserve it – nor did you. What was done to you is horrible, but if anyone ever tries to make you feel bad or blame you for someone else's actions, they do not understand, herbivore. They do not understand, and you should never associate yourself with such toxic people."

Bel nodded. He looked to the ground. "…I… My back… always hurts…"

The taller male nodded. "Where?"

"My lower back…"

"Turn around." Kyouya wasn't surprised when Bel hesitated to do as told, but the blond really _must_ be starting to trust him as, soon enough, he showed his back to someone after twenty-six years of abuse. The skylark said nothing as Bel whimpered and flinched when his shirt was raised; he didn't feel the need to draw attention to the fact that the blond was traumatised. All it took was one quick glance to realise why the older male had back pain – on top of that, why he was so tired all the time; this was… just… "Your entire body is twisted, herbivore. Your spine is curving all over the place, and your hips aren't sitting right. Even your shoulder blade is sticking out abnormally because you have no muscle tone. You are tired all of the time because your body cannot function optimally."

"I fell off the balcony…" Bel closed his eyes. "That doctor… He said most of my body was broken from the fall, but… He didn't care to fix the damage… He just hid it all so that Xanxus wasn't in trouble…"

"How are you still walking?" Kyouya narrowed his eyes as he pulled Bel's striped shirt back down. "Were you ever given an x ray?"

"No…"

"You are getting x rays, herbivore; any number of things could be wrong. This is not healthy and you may have spinal fractures or problems with your discs."

Bel's trembling grew worse. "Will… Will x rays hurt…?"

"No. You won't feel anything. But if you do not have your spine looked at, you may be in a wheelchair one day."

Bel could have vomited; after all he had been through… Why did he have to keep suffering…? "…"

"For now, sit back on the couch and those herbivores will return soon to take you out for lunch."

The blond did as he was instructed. He laid down on the couch, resting on his side so that he could look out of the window behind Kyouya. He hadn't been there for long before his eyelids became too heavy to keep open, and his soft snores filled the room as he slept peacefully.

Kyouya didn't mind Bel's snoring; instead, he felt comforted by it, knowing that the older male was safe with him, and that if he could help it, he would never let anyone hurt the blond again. The skylark wasn't used to being protective over someone, but he was quickly beginning to learn that whatever he was feeling towards Bel was something he had never felt towards anyone before – not even his ex-boyfriend.


	12. Chapter 12

"Kyouya…?"

Kyouya looked up from the book he had been reading when he heard his name being called from the doorway of his bedroom. He was surprised to find Bel standing there with his pet mink in his arms as the older male shuffled on the spot; never had the blond approached Kyouya's room like this before. "What is it, herbivore?"

"…" Bel looked to his feet. He licked his lips before he moved further into the room. When he spoke, it was in a shaky whisper. "Can I… sleep with you for tonight…?"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow. He said nothing as he lifted his blanket in invitation and moved further to the side to make room. Bel accepted the offer, and he was curled up next to Kyouya within seconds. His knees were to his chest as he kept his back to his host, and he didn't say a word; he was sure that if he were to try and speak, the dam would finally break.

Kyouya went back to his book. He could feel the blond trembling next to him, but he tried his best to ignore it; Bel didn't need it rubbed in his face. It wasn't until, perhaps ten minutes later, did he hear the first sob of despair. He put his book down before he turned to look at the smaller man. "Herbivore?"

Bel wiped hastily at his face as his tears came harder now. His trembling became worse as he whimpered, "Do people really… really like… _that_ …?"

The skylark blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"I was watching TV…" Bel choked on his tears before he was able to continue on. "I… Why do people… h-have sex together…?"

Kyouya hated to hear the confusion in Bel's voice. It angered him to know that the blond had been too abused to understand what was normal, and he wanted to be the one to piece the older male back together. "People have sex together because they love each other."

Bel shook his head. He made a frustrated sound before he howled out, "No, it's not love! It's pain and hatred and _fear_! If that's what 'love' is, then I don't want it!"

Kyouya reached out. He put his hand on Bel's shoulder. The smaller male quivered beneath the touch for a few seconds before he pulled away with a whimper; he just couldn't bear to be touched in this moment. "You are right, herbivore. What happened to you is not love. That was abuse – the polar opposite. But sadly, in this world, people hurt other people like that. On the other end of the spectrum, most people are rather decent, and do not wish to inflict pain on others. Herbivore, you have suffered greatly; I do not expect for you to understand, but maybe one day you will meet someone who will help you love enough to show you what sex really is. If done between two people who love each other, it is not a scary, humiliating thing; it is an act of love."

"Xanxus… Xanxus always said that no one will ever love me…" Bel didn't know why it hurt so bad to tell Kyouya these things, but he swore he could feel his heart being ripped out of his chest. "He said… the closest they'll come is… is loving my body… That I'll be alone forever… No one will ever want me, except to fuck me… And… And I just don't know what I did to make everyone hate me…"

The skylark was angry. Not at Bel, but at the people who had hurt him. He couldn't stand seeing the blond so distressed, and he wished he could do something to take away the older male's suffering. "Not everyone hates you, herbivore."

"Yes, they do…" Bel couldn't keep himself from crying out his heartbreak. "I don't know why, but they do…"

"Not the people in your life now. I do not hate you; you would not be in my home, let alone my bed, if I did. Cavallone does not hate you, nor do those three herbivores. They all like you and want to be your friend."

"Don't lie to me; they hate me, too…" The blond curled into a ball. He sobbed softly, wishing he could die. "They hate me so much…"

"They all bought you ice cream because they want you to be happy." The skylark reached his hand out and threaded it through dirty blond locks. "They care very much for you; Cavallone spent many years trying to find a way to get you from those herbivores sooner, but he left the police force before he could do it. He was shot, and he was too injured to come back, so he became a school teacher and trusted Sawada and his friends with helping you – and they finally did. They care for you; you just do not understand how to see it yet."

Bel sniffed. "I don't know _how_ to be happy, Kyouya… I just don't want… to keep feeling this way…"

Kyouya reached out. He put his hand on Bel's cheek. He hated to feel the tension beneath his palm; he wanted for the older male to trust him enough to allow Kyouya to touch him. "You just need to adjust into a life without abuse. It will become easier for you."

The blond's tears came harder. "I'm… I'm scared… Kyouya, I'm _scared_ …!"

"You no longer have reason to live in fear; you are not in danger anymore. Why are you afraid?"

"I don't want… I don't want…" Bel curled into a ball. "…I don't want to… to have sex anymore… I hate it… B-but… everyone will… expect sex from me… Won't they…?"

"Many people will, but only if you are to date them." Kyouya shook his head. "You do not have to have sex if you do not want to, and if anyone ever tries to make you have it, you tell me and I will have them charged for sexual assault; I will not let anyone hurt you like that again."

Bel fell silent at these words, seemingly soothed by them. He moved closer to Kyouya as he searched for body heat, but nothing was said between them for several minutes until the blond whispered in an anxious voice, "Has Kyouya… had sex before…?"

"Yes; when I was dating Cavallone. I have not had it since we broke up."

"What does it mean to break up…?" The older male sounded exhausted, as if he just didn't have the energy left to cry anymore. He sounded almost monotone, as if all emotion had left him in the minutes that had been silent.

"We ceased to date each other and went our separate ways. We were not… a good match for each other, and we decided it would be better for us to each see other people."

"…" Bel rolled over so that he could look at Kyouya. "What do people do when they date…?"

"It is not so different to friendship." The skylark felt relaxed as he explained things to Bel; something about the smaller male's childish innocence was calming for him. "A very close friendship, where two people who are dating spend much of their time together. They are… rather intimate, more so than they would be towards anyone else."

"Intimate?" Bel had never heard that word before, and his curiosity was peaked; he didn't understand much about people, and he knew there was still lots for him to learn. "What's that…?"

"It is about closeness. People who are intimate together trust each other with their secrets, their fears. Their ambitions and failures and achievements. There are… touches between them. And kisses. Things that they would only do with each other and no one else."

Bel absorbed the explanation in like a wet sponge and asked the only thing he could make sense of. "Does that mean… we're being intimate together now…? I… I told you stuff… I wouldn't tell anyone else… And… You patted my head… Are we intimate, Kyouya…?"

Kyouya was silent for several seconds. He didn't want to frighten Bel, but… Something told him it was okay to be honest right now. "Yes. We are. We are being intimate."

Bel moved closer so that their bodies were just inches away from each other. "…I… I want to be… intimate… with Kyouya… But I don't want to have sex… Just intimate…"

The skylark wasn't sure he would be very good at giving Bel what he wanted; when he had been with Dino, he had been closed off and distant. But Bel was just so… so _sweet_ , and he needed someone to help him heal… "Intimacy usually goes hand-in-hand with dating. Do you wish to date me, herbivore?"

"I'm scared…" The tone of fear was back in Bel's voice. "I… I don't want… Don't want…"

"I have no intentions of harming you. I have helped many people like you before; I do not wish to make you suffer, herbivore."

Bel shuddered as he closed his eyes. He whimpered quietly before he whispered, "P-please, don't… D-don't make me… have sex… No more… Please… I can't…"

Kyouya reached out and pulled Bel's shaking body against his. He didn't know why he felt so agitated seeing the older male like this, but he _hated_ it; how _dare_ someone make Bel suffer so much?! He held the smaller body against his tightly, refusing to let go until he heard the blond's crying slowly die down. "Herbivore. We do not have to have sex. I do not crave for it like other men, and I do not mind us not having it. You do not have to be scared around me; I do not wish to hurt you, herbivore."

Bel slowly relaxed into Kyouya's arms. He liked being held, finding it rather comforting. He took deep breaths to help calm down before he whispered, "I want… to date… But not have sex…"

The skylark nodded. "We will not have sex, herbivore." With that said, he moved his face closer to Bel's to kiss the smaller male's lips, but when he received a loud whimper and a punch to his chest, he understood; Bel was more damaged than he would probably ever understand.

"D-don't…!" Bel sounded so scared, Kyouya couldn't even find it in himself to be angry that the other had hit him; now that he was thinking about it, he could only imagine the things that had been done to the blond's face to make him fear even kissing.

Kyouya laid his head back down on his pillow. "We will not kiss, either, then. Not until you are ready. You can take your time; I can wait."

Bel didn't know how to respond, so he just closed his eyes and snuggled in closer to Kyouya. He was sure he could trust the younger because if the skylark had wanted to rape him, he would have done it by now instead of waiting for so long. He whimpered quietly in anxiety when he felt arms hold him tighter, but he soon relaxed as he became intoxicated by the comforting warmth he had only ever feared before.

Bel wasn't sure what he was getting himself into, or even if it were a good idea to 'date' after everything that had been done to him, but for the first time in his life, he felt as if he could trust someone to – what was that word again? To be kind to him, and to not hurt him.

Kyouya didn't mind sharing his bed for once; while he usually preferred to be alone in it, he felt at ease having Bel so close. The blond woke him up throughout the night with nightmares, but when Kyouya simply hugged him closer, he would eventually quieten down.

It was almost as if Bel knew that he was safe with Kyouya and trusted the younger to keep him safe from everything that haunted him in life.


	13. Chapter 13

Kyouya was sure he was sick come the next day when he finished work and took Bel with him to see Tsuna. He had been fine after coming home and getting his new boyfriend into the car, but the closer they got to the brunet's home, the more protective he felt in regards to Bel. He almost didn't want to let the older male out of the car where he would have to be around others, but though he didn't act on his desires to keep Bel for himself and instead allowed his boyfriend into the other's home, he couldn't help but get tense whenever someone went too close to the blond.

Like now, as Sawada's girlfriend fussed over the anxious blond clinging desperately to Kyouya's arm.

"He really does not need so much attention." Kyouya moved closer to Bel and wrapped his arm around the smaller male's shoulders. He pulled the other close against him, huddling slightly over the frightened male in a manner that almost looked to be shielding Bel from everyone's attention. "He is just fine without being crowded by herbivores; give him his space."

Tsuna's girlfriend, who Kyouya knew as Kyoko from their school years together, smiled as she backed away with the tray of biscuits and tea she had been offering her guests. She wasn't offended, knowing how aloof and unsociable the skylark was; instead, she found it rather cute that he was being so protective of someone who looked like they could desperately use lots of love. "I'll leave them on the coffee table, Hibari-san; you can both help yourselves to whatever you'd like."

Kyouya nodded at the woman before he turned his attention to the brunet sitting on the couch calmly. "You wished to speak with me."

"Ah, yes, Hibari-san." Tsuna rubbed the back of his head. "I spoke with Shamal, and he's agreed to giving Belphegor a check-up. He can do it today if you're happy to proceed with it."

The skylark looked down at Bel. He raised his eyebrow before he asked, "Do you wish to see the doctor today?"

Bel looked to his lap. His body was rather sore, and he would love to see a doctor who actually wanted to help him – but how could he trust this doctor? What if they were just like his doctors from the past? "…"

Kyouya understood. He reached out and took Bel's hand. "Do not be afraid; you will be very well cared for, herbivore. I will stay with you during."

Bel didn't respond to that; he instead looked over to the tray on the coffee table. He licked his lips hungrily, but still, he said nothing.

Kyouya, however, was learning quickly how to read Bel. He stood up and moved to grab the tray and bring it to his boyfriend. "You may have whatever you like, herbivore."

Bel wanted so badly to reach out and take some of the biscuits on the tray, but he was afraid; would he be in trouble if he were to do so? He was certainly not used to being offered food by strangers like this. He looked to Tsuna and Kyoko, wanting to ask for permission but not being able to make a sound.

Kyoko understood the silent question, and she smiled kindly. "It's okay, Belphegor; I brought them out for you and Hibari-san. You can eat and drink as much as you want. It's okay; I promise."

Bel hesitated, but he soon reached his hand out slowly to take a single biscuit from amongst the lot. He flinched when Kyouya reached out and thrust a handful of biscuits out towards him, but he soon accepted them in a wary manner; he _was_ rather hungry after all.

"You can eat them, herbivore; you will not be in trouble." Kyouya put the tray back down so that he could take the small pot of tea on the edge and begin making them both a cup. He was glad to hear his boyfriend munch on the biscuits; Bel hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, and they wouldn't have lunch until after they had left here. "They brought the biscuits out because you are allowed to eat them. They are being kind to you."

Bel didn't say anything; he just stared at his lap as he swallowed his biscuit. He raised the next one to his lips as he listened to Kyouya speak to the other two, but he never said anything out loud; he only wanted for Kyouya's attention.

"Do you like those biscuits, Belphegor?"

The blond eventually lifted his head as he heard his name being called. He frowned as he looked at Tsuna, but he wasn't sure he wanted to reply; he just wanted to sit quietly with Kyouya and try not to feel so out of place.

Tsuna and Kyoko both laughed at the shyness that seemed to have developed in Bel as of late; he had been so angry and aggressive, it was a welcome change.

"I'm going to take that as a yes seeing as you've almost eaten them all already." Tsuna's eyes shone with friendliness, but Bel couldn't help but flinch and drop his half-eaten biscuit to his lap; was he in trouble…? He had thought it was okay to eat them! Tsuna frowned at the look of fright on Bel's face, and he wished he had been more careful; he shouldn't have spoken so casually to someone who didn't understand socialising. "I'm sorry, Belphegor; I didn't mean to scare you; I'm just really happy you're eating the biscuits. There are more in the cupboard; do you want me to get them for you?"

Bel wanted to say yes, to be given more biscuits since he had already eaten most of what was on the tray for him. But at the same time, he was scared; what if it were a trap to get him into trouble? He looked to Kyouya, seeking the younger's reassurance.

Kyouya didn't offer his boyfriend a smile or even a warm touch; he instead simply met the blond's gaze for several seconds before he turned his head to his hosts and said, "Get them for him."

The blond watched as Tsuna left the room and returned half a minute later with a plate of biscuits. He looked at his lap as the plate was passed to him, and he said nothing – but not out of shyness or even anxiety; he quite simply didn't understand thank you.

"Do you have anything to say, Belphegor?"

Bel lifted his head in confusion; what was Tsuna talking about? "…"

It was Kyouya who jumped to the older male's defence. He narrowed his eyes before he growled, "Do _not_ talk to him like that; that's _my_ job."

The damaged male turned his attention back to his biscuits; he didn't want to listen to the others talk amongst themselves. He ate his new biscuits, and just as he had eaten the last one, he heard a knock at the front door. He tensed, not wanting for any visitors to enter the house while he was there, but to his disappointment, Kyoko stood up to answer the door.

"Looks like Shamal's here." Tsuna looked to Kyouya. "Hibari-san, you can take Belphegor to our bedroom so that he can have privacy. You can take a chair over to the bed so that you can sit with him, too."

Kyouya nodded. He reached down to help Bel to his feet, and without another word, he went to wait in the brunet's bedroom. He knew that his boyfriend was scared, so he wasn't going to leave the older male's side until the doctor's visit was over and done with because he refused to let anyone hurt Bel ever again.

 _ **~~XX~**_

It was a peaceful night, the kind where Kyouya enjoyed sitting outside just so that he could have some time to himself for a while. His back rested against the railing of the veranda as he listened to the peaceful noises that were carried over to him by the night air. He was content as he felt his stress ebb away; what he wouldn't give to have the whole world like this.

"Kyouya…?"

Kyouya looked over his shoulder at Bel's voice. He moved over so that the blond could sit with him. "What is it?"

Bel looked troubled. "Did you walk past the bedroom window…?"

"I did not." The skylark wasn't bothered by this question; the trees outside the window of his bedroom often casted shadows on the walls. "It was your imagination. Go back to bed."

The older male bit his lip. "…Did… You put… all of them… in jail… Right…?"

"We were unable to locate Viper, but we arrested the other four."

Bel hummed sadly. He was silent for several seconds before he said, "Xanxus told me that Mammon betrayed them…"

Kyouya raised his eyebrow. "What else do you know?"

"…Mammon… Mammon joined a different group… I think they're called Arcobaleno… That she… She went to them to make more money… And if Xanxus ever found her again, he was going to kill her…"

"Viper was their drug dealer, was she not?"

The blond nodded. "…Sometimes… She gave me drugs…" He slid his sleeve up so that he could show his new boyfriend the marring on his upper arm from countless syringe pricks. "I don't know what was in the needle, but… But she… She said if she gave it to me, I'd… That it… would be easier for me whenever I was… sold to a group…"

The skylark closed his eyes. "Were you ever given drugs in any other method?"

"Sometimes it was powder… Other times tablets… And sometimes she made me smoke it…"

"Why do you think she gave you drugs, herbivore?"

"…I… don't know… She just…" Bel lifted his hand to wipe his tears away. "…I know she was always making new things… Sometimes she would use me to test them… I hated everything she gave me… I always felt sick… and it made me feel so bad…"

Kyouya reached out to wrap his arm around Bel's shoulder and pull him close. He felt angered by these words, for more reasons than he could count, and all he wanted was to hide the blond in his home and never let another living being near him again. "You will never be around illegal drugs again; I will never allow them into my home, nor would I ever associate with someone who does them. I have seen what happens because of drugs, and I will not let you go through it again."

Bel couldn't help but drop his head to his boyfriend's shoulder. He let out a heavy sigh as he looked towards the building a considerable distance from the house. He didn't want to talk about his past anymore, so instead he asked, "What do you use that for…?"

"It is a stable for horses. We had it built when Cavallone and I were still together; he has a horse." The skylark pulled Bel closer against him. "There is nothing in there now, however; Cavallone took the animal with him when we broke up."

Bel shivered as he pulled his jacket tighter around his thin frame. "I'm cold…"

The younger male didn't hesitate to shrug his jacket off and instead wrap it Bel's shoulders. He then stood up once he was satisfied that the other would be kept warm now. "I will be leaving to start my night shift. I won't be home until early morning. You should go back to bed; it's late."

The blond didn't like the idea of going to bed by himself; he wanted Kyouya to sleep next to him again. He didn't argue, though; he knew it would only work himself up if he were to make a fuss. "…"

Kyouya said nothing as he pulled his keys from his pocket and turned around to go to his vehicle. He didn't leave the property until he had watched Bel go back inside, and once he was satisfied that the blond was safe, he left to go to work. The only problem was, he missed the dark figure that was creeping along the side of the house.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Bel didn't know how long he had laid in Kyouya's bed for. He was tired, but he couldn't seem to sleep tonight; he felt restless and no amount of trying to force himself into oblivion was working.

The blond sighed. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the roof for several seconds. He wanted to get a glass of milk, but he was afraid to do so; Kyouya wasn't home to ask for permission to drink something, and what if he got in trouble for it?

But then again… Maybe Kyouya wouldn't notice Bel had had some milk if he only had a little bit…

Bel's footsteps sounded almost deafening as he wandered out of the bedroom and down the hallway. He was afraid, scared of someone catching him out of his room; he remembered all too clearly the punishments he would receive for things like this when he had been with Xanxus.

"No one's home…" Bel mumbled to himself as he treaded the hallway slowly. His arms were wrapped around his own body in an effort to calm down. "It's just me here… Xanxus… Xanxus isn't going to find me…"

By now, Bel had made it to the kitchen. He glanced at the window across from him, uncomfortable with it being so big and yet having nothing to cover it with; what if there was someone on the other side of the window looking in at him…?

The blond tried not to think about that and finished his journey to the fridge. He opened it and reached in for the carton of milk, wondering how much of it he could pour into a cup without Kyouya realising, but before he could ponder too much on it, he was startled by the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Kyou – mmph!" Bel's eyes widened as a hand was placed against his mouth and he was pulled against a body. He writhed in the hold, trying to get out of it, but before he could break free, he saw the familiar glint of a blade in the corner of his eye and a sharp pain took over his senses. It was then all fear drained from him as anger he had felt for so long bubbled up inside of him, and his senses dulled until the world around him was nothing but a blur induced by his intense emotions. The only thing he was aware of was his attacker's cries of pain eventually disappearing, leaving him in silence broken only by the steady dripping of blood from the blade and onto the floor beneath them.


	14. Chapter 14

Kyouya looked over his shoulder when he heard the door of Bel's hospital room open. He wasn't surprised to see his three subordinates who always seemed to give him trouble; they had heard that Bel was in hospital from Dino who had been the first person Kyouya had called after coming home and finding a bloodbath in the kitchen.

"Hibari-san, what happened?!" Tsuna was the first to approach Kyouya, and his hazel eyes held nothing but deep sympathy for the person he had always viewed as his friend.

Kyouya felt like he couldn't speak past the lump in his throat. He squeezed the cold hand he had been holding for what felt like an eternity before he was finally able to say, "He told me that there was someone outside. I didn't believe him. I came home on my break to make sure he was still asleep. If I hadn't come back… He would have bled out."

"Did someone break in?"

"The living room had been ransacked. They must have been robbing the house and he interrupted them." Kyouya fell silent.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"He lost a lot of blood. The nurses sedated him because he was acting out. He was stabbed."

Takeshi took a seat next to the bed. He looked to be very upset by the news, and knowing him, he probably was; he had a huge heart, despite the things he had been through himself. "Who did it?"

"No one I recognise. Kusakabe is investigating for me."

"Hibari-san, if there's anything we can do to help you, we –"

"-Kyouya…?" All eyes looked to the bed at Bel's weak voice. Bel was stirring, and a grimace sat on his face as he groaned softly in pain. He fell still before he spoke again in a slurred manner. "Kyouya, I… K-kyouya, what… What happened…?"

Kyouya reached out. He pressed his palm against Bel's cheek before he calmly said, "You were attacked, but you're safe now."

The blond whimpered. He sniffed before he whispered, "I-I… I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"…I just… I was thirsty… I only wanted some milk…" A tear rolled down Bel's cheek. "…I should have waited for you to come home so I could ask…"

"It's not your fault, so don't blame yourself." Kyouya started to shake with anger; had Bel been so badly abused, he naturally believed being stabbed like this was some sort of punishment for just getting a drink? "I have told you before; you can always get what you want from my home and you will not be in trouble for it. This did not happen because you did not ask me."

"…I'm sorry…"

"There is no need to apologise; you did nothing wrong." The skylark brushed his hand through dirty golden locks. "I am not mad at you for anything; you did not deserve this."

Bel let out a sob. "…That's… not what I was taught… I'm sorry…"

Kyouya opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped when Takeshi stood up and moved closer to the bed so that he could take Bel's other hand. He knelt down and leant against the mattress before he said, "You don't have to apologise to anyone in this room, Bel. You might not understand it just yet, but you aren't in trouble. Hibari was very worried about you when he found you; he hasn't left your side for anything. Whatever you've been taught, you should try and forget it and trust Hibari when he tells you that it's okay; you were taught very wrongly as a child, and we only want to help you learn how to get better. Hibari says it's okay, so it's okay. Alright?"

Bel didn't reply back to Takeshi, but he did move himself closer to Kyouya. He pressed his head against the younger's palm, wanting more of the comforting touch; he had never known this before, and he didn't want it to end. "I… I trust Kyouya… No one's… sat with me like this… I… I trust Kyouya…"

Kyouya closed his eyes. He continued patting the older male's head. "I should have listened to you when you said you saw someone. I sincerely believed it was only the trees."

"Kyouya didn't know…"

"I still should have investigated, if only to make you feel at ease. Instead I left you alone. I should be the one to apologise."

Bel tensed. He was silent for a while before he whispered, "…I've never… been apologised to before…"

Tsuna smiled. He grabbed the blond's attention before he said, "You should feel special, Belphegor; Hibari-san never apologises for anything. You're the first person he's said sorry to."

Kyouya glared at his subordinate. "I am quite capable of apologising when required; I simply do not do anything wrong to warrant it, herbivore."

"Kyouya, I'm… I'm tired…" A yawn escaped Bel's lips. "Can you stay with me…?"

The skylark nodded. "Yes, herbivore. Get some rest; you are wounded."

Bel watched with wary eyes as the younger group left the room. He was glad his boyfriend was still holding his hand; there was so much running through his mind, and it was unsettling for him.

"You killed him, didn't you?"

Bel blinked at Kyouya's question. He said nothing as he nodded; he would never lie to Kyouya – not like how he had always been lied to by the others in his life.

"I will not allow repercussions to hit you for that; you defended yourself." The skylark looked out of the window. "What were you thinking about when you did it?"

"...I… I wasn't thinking…" Bel sighed. "I just… I got angry… like how I was when I was… with Xanxus… I just wanted… to stop being hurt…"

"You were influenced by a dark history. I do not judge you; you have been through a lot."

"…" Bel closed his eyes. "…Kyouya…?"

"Yes?"

"…You said that… that people… That there is kissing in intimacy…" Bel took a deep breath. "…I… I think I'm… r-ready… I… trust you…"

"We will take it slow; we do not need to rush." Kyouya leant down so that he could press his lips to Bel's. He wasn't surprised to find that the blond's mouth was tightly shut, and that the smaller male was trembling beneath him at the action; it must have been taking everything he had to keep himself in control.

But then, just as Kyouya was about to pull away, pale lips parted just enough for the skylark's tongue to poke inside. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds before Bel turned his head to break it, but Kyouya understood; he couldn't expect for anything more.

"I…" Bel rolled over to his side so that his back was to Kyouya. "…"

"Did you not like it?" Kyouya wasn't offended; they may have moved too fast for someone as broken as Bel.

"…It's not that… I just… They… They rarely kissed me… If they did, it was rough and scary… But… They really liked… to, umm… They liked… making me… use my mouth… O-on their… On them…"

"It made you remember."

Bel nodded. "…"

"We will not kiss like that, then. Herbivore?"

Bel flinched when he felt Kyouya grab his shoulder. "…"

"The next time someone forces you to use your mouth against your will, bite them. Bite as hard as you can. They will stop, and you will have time to run away and seek help."

"…Okay…"

"Get some sleep. I will be right next to you in the chair."

"…" Bel let a single tear fall onto his pillow; how glad he was that Kyouya had taken him in, because he knew he would never have learnt to feel better if he were with anyone else. Kyouya was important to him, and he hoped that the younger understood how much he trusted the skylark – he would never have let down his guard like this otherwise.

It was to Kyouya's soothing voice that Bel fell asleep into peaceful dreams.


	15. Chapter 15

Bel hadn't stayed in hospital for long, and as soon as he was fit enough to be leaving the house again, Kyouya had organised for someone to be with the blond at all hours. Everyone who knew Kyouya knew it was extremely out of character for him to act like this towards someone, but no one questioned it; they instead went along with what their friend wanted, just glad that he was finally learning how to socialise properly.

As of now, while Kyouya worked the morning shift on patrol, he had tasked his police partner with the duty of babysitting Bel for a few hours. Kusakabe didn't mind, but it wasn't an easy task to accomplish when Bel always seemed so agitated whenever Kyouya wasn't around.

"Belphegor, I know you're upset without Kyouya, but can't you just try to be a little nicer?" Kusakabe was a patient person and by all means kind, but even Bel was testing his limits; he had babysat toddlers with better manners than the blond. "He's asked me to take you into town and buy you a phone, but you're making it difficult for me."

Bel stomped his foot on the ground as he made an agitated noise. "I don't _want_ to go into a stupid shop! I want to go back to Kyouya!"

"Kyouya is very busy, Belphegor. He wanted someone to look after you so you're not alone. As soon as he's finished work, he'll come and get you."

"You're a stupid peasant!"

Before Kusakabe could respond, a familiar laugh from behind him made him turn around. He was surprised to find Dino standing there, having not expected to run into the older male; he had been sure that since it was still early in the morning, Dino would have been at work. "Cavallone-san."

Dino smiled warmly at the two before he chuckled. "Where did you learn that word, Belphegor?"

"Peasant?" A confused look crossed the younger blond's face. "I heard someone say it on TV."

"You're cute." Dino's eyes crinkled with kindness. He looked back at Kusakabe, not surprised to see the tired expression on the cop's face; he knew firsthand how exhausting it was to care for Bel. "I see you're having your hands full with him. He just doesn't know you well enough yet. Would you like for me to take him off your hands?"

Kusakabe frowned. He didn't want to dump Bel off on the first taker, but he also wasn't sure that he could handle the blond just yet; Bel was clearly upset about being separated from Kyouya and was just acting out in the only manner he knew, but the raven-haired man still didn't know what he could do to help the smaller male; he didn't know what Bel needed, having never spent one-on-one time with him before. "Well…"

"I'll talk to Kyouya and let him know I have Belphegor." Dino extended his arm towards the smaller blond, inviting him closer. "Are you hungry, Bel?"

Kusakabe reached into his pocket and resurfaced with the money Kyouya had entrusted him with. "Kyouya tasked me with buying Belphegor his own phone. This is the money I was left."

Dino was glad to hear that Kyouya was finally stepping up and looking after Bel properly; the skylark had told him about his relationship with Bel, and while he couldn't help but be a little jealous, it was nice to see that the youngest was finally starting to calm down and work out how to be a proper boyfriend. "What kind of phone do you want, Bel?"

Bel didn't hesitate to come to his fellow blond's side; he preferred to be with someone he knew rather than a person he had only met a few times before. He mumbled, "Is there more than one kind of phone…?"

"There's lots to choose from. We'll go and have a look and find one you like. Tetsuya, thank you very much for looking after Bel for Kyouya; I'll take things from here."

The smaller blond followed behind Dino, glad to be away from Kusakabe; while he only wanted to be with Kyouya, he didn't mind the taller male because Dino made him feel safe, too. "When can I go back to Kyouya…?"

"He finishes just after lunch; he'll come and get you on his way home. He doesn't want you to be alone and he's trying to help you make some friends."

"I miss Kyouya already…" Bel sighed. "I just wanna stay with him…"

"I know you do, but it'll be good for you to spend some time with other people and make friends."

"…"

Bel was quiet, and Dino could respect that. He didn't ask for conversation as he led his friend down the street and into one of the closest stores; the younger male just needed to learn how to feel comfortable around others.

"The phones are just here, Bel. You can have a look at them all and find one you want."

Bel gave his companion a wary look before he found the courage to wander away towards the phones. He was almost too afraid to want to touch them in case he got into trouble for it, but there were so many different shapes, sizes and colours, he wanted to investigate; his curious nature was already getting the best of him, even without Kyouya there to reassure him that he was safe. The first one he picked up was small, with a black back and tiny buttons with numbers on them.

"Dino…?"

Dino came to Bel's side when he heard the younger's anxious whimper. "What is it?"

"I… don't know what I'm supposed to do…" Bel sighed. He felt frustrated that he couldn't understand what he was supposed to do in this moment, and he knew he needed guidance through it, even though he didn't want to admit it; he didn't want to be seen in such a pathetic manner.

Dino was as patient as ever as he reached into his pocket and resurfaced with his own phone. He showed it to Bel, revealing that there were no numbered buttons on it and instead it was just a big screen. He pressed the single button beneath the screen and Bel was surprised to find that it lit up, and the numbers were instead in the glass this time. "You would find a phone like this to be easier to learn. Do you want one like mine?"

Bel didn't even know what he was looking at; he had barely looked at a phone in his whole life, let alone handled one. He didn't care much for having a phone, and he only wanted to get this over and done with since Kyouya seemed adamant in getting him one. "Okay…"

"An iPhone would be good for you to learn with; you'll catch on quickly." The older blond led Bel over to another row of display phones. "What one do you like?"

Bel looked at the different phones spread out before him. He cocked his head to the side, finding that he liked the smaller, more compact size of these ones compared to Dino's big phone. He pointed to the white model he could see, and with a bit of encouragement from his companion, he started to play with the phone. Dino showed him how to use it, and within minutes, Bel understood how it worked, and he found he liked it.

"I want that one." Bel was quickly learning that he had Dino wrapped around his finger, and that whatever he asked for, he would get. He wouldn't dare push his luck with Kyouya, but he knew he would always get his own way when it came to the other blond. "I'm hungry; I want food, too."

"I'll get the phone for you and then we'll go and have lunch together. What do you want to eat?"

"Sushi!" There was a hint of excitement in Bel's voice that Dino hadn't heard before, and it made him smile; there was still a long way to go, but the younger male was definitely getting better.

"Alright, we'll have sushi." Dino couldn't help but smile; Bel was just so adorable.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Bel was wary of things he didn't understand, and when he learnt that they weren't going to Takeshi's sushi restaurant, he almost panicked; where was Dino taking him…?

"Sushi is _that_ way!" Bel's bottom lip stuck out as he pointed through the car window behind him. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to a different sushi restaurant as Takeshi's isn't open right now."

"Why not? I like his sushi the most…" Bel's pout grew, and he couldn't stop himself from kicking out at the dashboard of Dino's BMW. "I want _Takeshi's_ sushi! Give me Takeshi's sushi!"

"I would if I could, but I can't, Bel; Takeshi's busy doing police stuff, and there's no one else there to run his restaurant without him anymore. Try and understand; he lost his father not long ago, and it really tore him up. Running that restaurant is painful for him now."

Bel looked blankly at the older blond. "His dad is dead?"

"Yes; he was murdered."

A twisted grin crossed Bel's face at this, and a laugh that sent chills down Dino's spine left the smaller male's lips. "He's sad about his dad being killed? I laughed when Xanxus told me my family died. I laughed so much, I couldn't stop laughing until I threw up. I wondered if that was what happiness felt like, the way I felt when I was told. The only thing that disappointed me was knowing that I couldn't kill them myself."

Dino knew there was a lot of damage both mentally and emotionally when it came to Belphegor, and that no matter how hard he tried, he would probably never be able to understand the younger. It was frightening to see Bel like this, but he had to remember; the younger male had been through so much, it was expected of him to be like this.

"…Well… Some people are close to their parents, Bel." Dino was trying to be so gentle in this moment, he wasn't prepared for what happened next. "Not everyone's parents are like yours, and I –"

"Shut up!" Bel lunged like a feral animal. His hands wrapped around Dino's throat, and he was so focused on hurting the other, he didn't even notice the car spinning out of control and mounting the kerb. He squeezed his fingers hard enough to bruise, and he wasn't satisfied until Dino choked and gagged and looked _scared_ beneath his touch, much like how he himself must have looked more times than he had ever cared to count while in the same position. He hissed in a low, dangerous tone, "Don't _ever_ … speak to me… like you _understand_ …! You have _no fucking idea…_ what it's like to live the way I have… Talk to me like you think you're better than me because _you_ had a _good_ family, and I will _kill_ you…"

While Dino had noticed someone approaching the car, Bel had been so focused on his anger, he hadn't been aware of someone opening his door. When a soft voice reached his ears, he tensed, and he vaguely wondered if he were dreaming.

"You won't kill him, Bel. You wouldn't kill someone apart from Xanxus or Squalo, and you know it."

"…Mam…mon…" For the first time in a long time, Bel became so distraught, he fainted.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Kyouya hadn't expected for much when he parked his car in Dino's driveway and went to let himself into the house; he had left his boyfriend with Dino before, and the younger blond had been okay; the ex-cop spoiled him with sugary treats and videogames. So when he stepped through the front door of the house and into the living room to find Bel absent and a stranger sitting on his ex's couch, he tensed; this… wasn't _normal_.

"Cavallone, I have told you to not invite strangers into your home when my herbivore is with you; he hates strangers." Kyouya narrowed his eyes at the woman, finding her long, indigo hair to almost be familiar somehow.

Dino frowned, and it was then Kyouya realised that something was going on, and he _didn't like it._ It was the soft, uncertain tone the blond used with him that proved his suspicions. "She isn't a stranger to Bel, Kyouya…"

"Where is he." The skylark tensed further; he wanted to get Bel and get the hell out of here because he already felt suffocated by the tension in the air.

"He's in my room…" Dino looked to the side, not able to make eye contact with Kyouya. The younger was too volatile, and the blond didn't want a fight right now.

" _Why_ is he in _your_ room, Cavallone." Kyouya's voice raised that slightest bit, and Dino knew his ex was mad; the younger was very possessive and didn't like when people imposed upon what was his.

"…I…" The teacher sighed. "Kyouya… I don't –"

"-Kyouya? What a surprise to see you here."

Kyouya felt sick as he realised that more and more questions were being raised in an environment that didn't sit right with him. He closed his eyes as he looked to the familiar figure that was emerging from the adjoining kitchen with a cup of tea in hand. "I could say the same for you, uncle; I didn't realise you and Cavallone were on visiting terms."

The long-haired man made his way to the couch to sit next to the woman who had been silent this whole time. "Don't be silly, Kyouya; this isn't a visit like you are expecting."

The skylark opened his mouth to respond, but he quickly stopped when he watched his uncle cuddle up against the woman in an intimate manner. His voice was thick with unease as he said, "You never told me you are dating, Fon."

Fon chuckled. "Indeed, I didn't. This is Viper."

It was then Kyouya clicked on as to where he had seen the woman before. He reached down to his hip and withdrew his gun, pointing it at her. "You're under arrest for aiding a child trafficking ring and drug dealing."

Fon and Dino both got to their feet before Kyouya could make the arrest. "Kyouya, don't do it! It isn't what you think!"

"You two are aiding a criminal. Step down or I'll arrest both of you today, too." A pair of handcuffs were the next thing Kyouya raised into the air.

"Kyouya, if you do that, there's going to be trouble." Fon was calm as always. "You need to listen to us."

"I do not associate myself with criminals, Fon."

"Kyouya. There will be blood on your hands if you make this arrest."

The skylark stopped. He looked at his uncle. "What do you mean?"

For the first time since Kyouya had been there, the woman spoke. "You did not catch Xanxus or his group because you were smart enough to do so. You only caught them because they allowed you to catch them. They are going to wipe out the ones who have been investigating them, and when they do, no one will see it coming. There is a war on your hands, and it involves my group, too. All of us are in danger."

Kyouya closed the distance between he and Viper. He closed the handcuffs around her wrists. "I do not trust criminals. You are under arrest."

"You're making a mistake, Kyouya." Fon stayed where he was, knowing he would only make things worse if he were to try and stop his nephew. "She's telling the truth."

"She is a criminal, and she will be treated like one. Cavallone, get my herbivore from your room and into my car; we will be leaving now."

Fon and Dino looked at each other. They knew nothing good was going to come out of this, but what could they do? Kyouya wasn't going to listen to them.

Things weren't going to go so smoothly, and they both knew it.


	16. Chapter 16

Kyouya wasn't used to smiling, so when he became aware of the corners of his lips twitching as he drove his car towards his home, his smile quickly turned into a frown; he wasn't used to other people making him feel so happy, and it was a rather daunting feeling for someone as unsociable as himself.

It wasn't that Kyouya didn't _want_ to smile – after all, how was he supposed to not feel joyful when he came around the corner and saw Bel watching for him out of the living room window? – but after so many years of feeling almost _empty_ inside, how could he suddenly feel comfortable with his own changes? It was going to take some time to get used to, and he still wasn't quite sure he was ready for it yet.

It was taking the skylark longer than usual to reach his home and park his Audi by the side as it had started to snow earlier in the day and didn't show any signs of letting up soon, but he persevered; he had to bring Bel the extra warm clothing he had bought for the blond after he had finished work.

Finally, once his car was parked safely beneath its shelter, Kyouya grabbed the shopping bag on the seat next to him and left the car. As expected, his boyfriend was waiting for him on the veranda, not daring to venture any further. The blond was bouncing on the spot, excited for Kyouya's return, and as soon as the younger male had passed the threshold of the small staircase leading up the veranda, Bel closed the distance between them so that he could lean against the skylark and drop his face against the other's shoulder. Kyouya was stiff, but not very noticeably; he was slowly getting used to Bel's spontaneous acts of affection and never minded whenever he let the smaller man close to him like this.

"Kyouya, I wanna play in the white stuff…" There was a crooked smile on the blond's face, as if he were excited at the idea of playing in the snow, but was also afraid of being scolded for requesting such a thing. "I've only seen it from my balcony when I was with Xanxus; I wanna play in it!"

Kyouya nodded as he put his hand on Bel's shoulder to try and calm the excited male. "You may, but not until you put these on first; you will be too cold otherwise." He lifted the shopping bag up for Bel to take. "There is a scarf and a thick sweater for you to wear."

Bel was eager to open the bag; he liked when his boyfriend would buy him things and surprise him with them. His smile became a sincere grin when he found that he had a new striped sweater and scarf to wear, and he couldn't help but lean forward so that he could place a kiss on Kyouya's cheek. "I can play in the white stuff if I put them on?"

"It is called snow, and yes; you can." Kyouya reached out so that he could help Bel put his new clothing on. He waited until the older male was warm before he backed away and said, "Stay where you can see the house; don't wander off too far."

Bel made an excited sound as he jumped down the steps just before the snow that lay before him. He leant down so that he could poke tentatively at it, and though he shuddered slightly from the cold, he still jumped into the snow so that he could leave his footprints. Kyouya watched the blond frolic for a few minutes before he went inside, wanting to relax with a good book after a stressful day at work.

It was a perfect day for sitting on the couch with a book on his lap as the open fireplace warmed the house up, and the time quickly slipped away as Kyouya turned page after page. However, as relaxed as he was in that moment, he couldn't help but feel agitated when there came a knock at his door. He reluctantly put his book down so that he could answer the door, but he almost shut it again as he found his brunet herbivore and the younger's friend on his doorstep.

"What do you want, herbivore?" Kyouya stepped outside so that he could close the door behind him.

Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck as his best friend from another division of the police force looked uncomfortable. It was the brunet who spoke. "They got out."

Kyouya raised his eyebrow. "Who?"

"Xanxus and the others. They got to Viper before they escaped. She's... dead.."

Kyouya didn't care, not after remembering what Bel had told him she did to the blond. "What is being done?"

The redhead beside Tsuna replied, in a quiet voice. "They got another officer, and information was spilt. They stole a car and that was the last anyone has seen of them."

"I'm worried they will come after Belphegor." Tsuna frowned. "Where is he, anyway?"

"He is playing in the snow; he has never been able to do so before." With that said, Kyouya sighed as he realised Bel had disobeyed and wandered somewhere out of sight. "I told him to stay by the house."

"Maybe he -"

Silence fell amongst the group as a deafening bang resounded from somewhere in the distance, one they were all only too familiar with; someone was firing a gun.

"Belphegor." Kyouya wasn't aware of his breath catching in his throat; all he knew was that if someone was shooting at his herbivore, there would be hell to pay.

"Enma, radio in to the station." Tsuna didn't hesitate to follow after Kyouya towards the source of the noise; they had to find Bel and make sure he was safe. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

It wasn't hard to find where Bel had gone as the two cops were able to follow the footsteps he had left in the snow, but the further away from the house they got, the more apparent it became that somewhere along the line, the blond had been joined by several others – it was when they came across snow covered in blood, they knew that whoever it was weren't friends of Bel's.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Kyouya didn't know why he felt so weird inside knowing that someone had taken Bel from him. He felt angry, with a little bit of what Dino had told him was anxiety, and an emotion he hadn't felt since he was a teenager; he felt… _sad_.

Kyouya didn't like knowing that Bel was out there somewhere, with people who wanted to bring harm to him. The blond was bleeding out, and Kyouya felt sick knowing that anything could be happening to his boyfriend and he wasn't there to protect him. In fact, he almost felt…

 _Guilty._

It's not your fault, Dino had told him repeatedly after hearing what had happened. But Kyouya _did_ feel as if it were his fault this had happened to Bel; for the first time since the blond had been with him, the older male had left the safety of the house alone because he _trusted_ Kyouya. For the first time, Bel had wandered down the stairs by himself without the skylark by his side, and look at what had happened…

It had been a long time since Kyouya had felt tears rolling down his cheeks, and he stopped to wonder when and how the smaller male had grown on him so easily; he wasn't used to feeling attached to anyone – to have someone able to invoke emotion within in him like this.

But Kyouya wasn't one to indulge in self-pity, and he wasn't going to let himself sit here and cry. He already knew who had taken Bel; he had been warned, but he hadn't listened. However, despite knowing who was behind it, he couldn't do anything right now; every place Xanxus had been known to frequent was empty, and no one knew where to start in looking for them. That wasn't going to stop, Kyouya, though; he would turn Namimori upside down until he found them and got Bel back.

The skylark stood up from his couch and went to leave the house, but as soon as he opened his front door, he was stopped by someone standing in his way.

"Good evening, Kyouya. I heard something I believe may interest you. Reborn said Xanxus and the others are staying at a hotel. May I accompany you?"

It was the pain that Kyouya could hear in his uncle's voice that told him this was a personal matter for Fon, too.


	17. Chapter 17

"He's beautiful, isn't he? When I saw him with Kyouya, I knew I wanted him."

"He's such a good fuck; tightest thing I've ever been with, and the way he thrashes beneath you when he tries to get away just makes the experience that much better."

Bel felt sick. He was blindfolded and handcuffed to a hard surface. He didn't know where he was; he only knew that he wanted to go back home. He whimpered pitifully. "Kyouya…"

The blond flinched when he heard footsteps approach him. He tried to back away, but he was trapped by what must have been a wall. He shuddered when he felt slender fingers ghost against his face, and he could have cried; he hadn't been so scared in a long time.

"You are just so stunning, Belphegor." A lump formed in Bel's throat as he recognised the voice to belong to Mukuro, the one he had met that day with his boyfriend. "I was so jealous of someone like Kyouya having you, so I enlisted the help of Xanxus to get you for myself. It wasn't easy getting him out of the jail by myself, but I managed; being a member of the police force can be very deceptive, don't you agree? I knew I could trust him; after all, I got my little one from him."

Bel choked back vomit as he felt his blindfold being removed from his face. He looked past Mukuro when the long-haired man gestured behind him towards one of the corners of the room, and it was then the tears started sliding down his cheeks; behind Mukuro, he recognised the frail form of one of the younger boys that had come from the same child trafficking ring as him.

"You remember Fran, don't you?" There was a hint of mocking in Mukuro's voice. "Xanxus told me you're… well acquainted with him. Did you like sucking Fran off for the cameras, Belphegor? He tastes so good, doesn't he? Would you like to taste him again so that I can watch?"

The blond trembled. He shook his head, wishing he could go home – he had only left the safety of the house because he trusted Kyouya when the skylark told him he was safe and that the younger wouldn't let anyone hurt him, but look at what had happened…

"Oh, don't be shy, Belphegor; you know you enjoy sucking dicks." Mukuro looked over his shoulder. "Fran, come over here."

Bel said nothing as he watched the teal-haired male slowly cross the room. He remembered the younger well, and Fran had been a rather snarky, yet lively child – but now, he looked as if all emotion had left him and was nothing but a shell.

Fran stopped by his master and stared at Bel with a blank face. Even his emerald eyes, which had once shone vibrantly, were empty. His voice was monotone, and Bel understood; Fran had had everything taken from him, and unlike Bel who had refused to submit to anyone and everyone, had been broken.

"F-froggy…" Bel had never thought he would whisper the younger's nickname again, but part of him hoped that if he did, something in Fran would click and the teal-haired male would suddenly come back to life – but that was just wishful thinking, and Fran showed nothing but the same blankness he had worn since his time here.

"On your knees, little one." Mukuro licked his lips as his slave obeyed, but he frowned when Fran knelt before him instead of Bel. He raised his hand and slapped the boy across the face, hard enough to leave a bruise that was starting to form already. "You know I hate having to hit you, Fran, but you know what happens when you disobey me. I want you on your knees before Belphegor and give him his first experience in sexual pleasure; Xanxus tells me he was never allowed to have pleasure before."

Fran was silent. He didn't hesitate to do as instructed, and that was when Bel wondered; what had happened to break the snarky little boy he had always fought with when the teal-haired boy had been as stubborn as himself? Bel could have been in the same position if he had allowed his pride to die out, but instead he had fought his hardest to remain untamed and unbroken.

"Froggy, you don't have to do this…" Bel pulled his knees to his chest when small hands reached out to his belt. His tears fell harder, and he wished he hadn't been handcuffed so he could push Fran away from him. He wouldn't hit the boy – not when it wasn't the other's fault this was happening – but he'd be damned if he let someone take his clothes from him after he had finally escaped the pain and suffering that had plagued him for so long. "Please… D-don't… I don't… want to…"

Mukuro clicked his tongue. He grabbed the bloodstained scarf that had been abandoned next to Bel and stuffed it into the blond's mouth. He then lifted the older male's shirt so that he could find the bullet wound and press his fingers into it to earn a muffled scream of pain. "You talk too much, Belphegor. Just sit back and let it happen."

Bel shook his head. He started writhing, kicking out at everyone near him to try and get them away from him, but he froze when he heard the familiar click of the safety on a gun near his head. He swallowed thickly, but part of him felt so resigned to his fate, he almost _wanted_ Xanxus to pull the trigger – at least then he wouldn't have to go through this any longer.

The blond felt fresh tears roll down his cheeks as he heard laughter from somewhere in the background, knowing that they weren't the only ones in the room. He almost vomited when a camera was shoved into his face, but even with the threat of a gun against his head, he wouldn't stop thrashing; Xanxus could pull the trigger if he wanted because the more time that went by, the less Bel cared whether or not he died here in the next few minutes.

Bel hated to hear his belt clicking as it was undone, and his trembling worsened when he felt it being pulled from the loops of his pants. He closed his eyes, knowing that kicking his legs out hadn't been able to do anything. He was ready to try and spit his scarf from his mouth and beg Xanxus to just do it, just kill him now so that he didn't have to submit to their sick ways any longer – but before he could even try and get the scarf from his mouth, the door was kicked open and there was yelling all around him that made him feel claustrophobic. He curled up into a ball, hoping to appear small enough to not be noticed, and closed his eyes so that he wouldn't have to see what was happening. There was the deafening bangs of gunfire and more shouting, but all of that disappeared from Bel's consciousness when he felt someone pulling at his handcuffs.

"Stay quiet so they don't come over here."

Bel lifted his head to see who was talking to him. It was a man he had never seen before, with a fedora and curled sideburns, and he seemed to be releasing him from his bindings. He looked to the side and saw Takeshi holding Fran close to him, keeping the youngest from going to Mukuro's side.

There was screaming from outside of the room as the sound of footsteps ran past it. The air smelt like blood and gunpowder, and when Bel looked to the middle of the room, he found Kyouya and several other people fighting with Xanxus and his group. His eyes widened as he watched Mukuro sneak up behind the skylark and stab him with a blade, and it was when Kyouya fell to the ground did he see red. He was barely aware of getting to his feet and, despite the gunshot wound in his abdomen, ran to the long-haired man and tackled him. He wrestled the knife from the other, and though he was barely conscious of doing it, forced the blade a multitude of times into Mukuro's chest. He didn't stick around to see if Mukuro was dead or not; he heard Xanxus yelling, and all the anger, the hatred, and the _fear_ he had bottled up deep inside of him throughout his life came flooding out and enveloped him in a haze he couldn't see through. He didn't take much notice of the bullets that came to make a new home in his body; all that mattered to him was getting Xanxus for everything the man had put him through.

What happened next was only snippets as Bel's consciousness dipped in and out. He was aware of pain all through his body. There was the heat of another body by his, and the warmth of blood that didn't belong to him coated his hands red. People were screaming his name, and the last thing he became aware of before he blacked out was hands pulling him away.

Bel passed out, and even after being carried out of the hotel and to the front of the building, the shrill wailing of ambulances didn't wake him; he was weak, both physically and mentally, and he wouldn't wake for several days due to the mental and emotional damage alone.


	18. Chapter 18

When Bel came to, it was to the familiar setting of Kyouya's bedroom. He briefly wondered if maybe it had all just been a dream, but when he tried to sit up to look for Kyouya, he couldn't help but cry out in pain. He fell onto his back as pain shot through his whole body, and he almost teared up from it; he had been through a lot of pain before, but not like this; his entire body felt as if it were being fed through a meat grinder.

Bel looked to the bedroom door when he heard it open, and he was just about to tell Kyouya how much he was hurting when he froze at the sight of an unfamiliar person. He was scared; he briefly recalled seeing them at the hotel, but what frightened him the most was not knowing whose side the other had been on, and why they were here instead of Kyouya.

"You're finally awake." The redhead smiled as he moved to take the chair next to the bed. Bel said nothing; he simply watched the taller male's approach warily. "It's been almost a week now. Hibari has been very worried about you."

Bel licked his lips anxiously. He whispered, "…Where… is Kyouya…?"

"He and Tsuna are back at the station; there's been a lot for them to do thanks to Xanxus. Hibari asked for me to keep an eye on you while he's at work, just in case you woke up and he wasn't there."

Tears slipped past Bel's eyelashes. "…I want Kyouya…"

"He'll be home soon. He wouldn't even leave you at the hospital; as soon as you were better, he took you home so he could look after you himself."

"What happened…?"

"I'll leave Hibari to talk to you about that." The other scratched the back of his head nervously before a realisation struck him. "My name's Enma. I work on a separate branch of the police force, but Tsuna and I are very close. He's told me a lot about you."

"…"

"That boy we rescued from the hotel room." Enma was careful now, not wanting to say the wrong thing to Bel. "Did you know him?"

"…" Did Bel want to tell a stranger about his past? Not really. He kept it simple. "I knew him when I was younger…"

Enma, who knew about Bel's backstory, didn't press. He offered a small smile before he said, "Yamamoto's taken him into his home. He's very fond of him already."

Bel's lips twitched before he frowned. Would Takeshi be able to help Fran like how Kyouya had helped _him?_ He hadn't found it easy to be around the younger male, but even though they had always fought, it didn't mean he didn't _care_ …!

"Can I get you anything for your pain? Hibari said to give you morphine around now if you hadn't already woken up."

"Don't want it…" As much as it hurt, Bel rolled onto his side so that his back was to Enma. He made a soft noise as he noticed his phone sitting on his bedside drawer, remembering he had left it there the day he had been taken. He groaned. "I want my phone…"

Enma didn't hesitate to get up and give the older male's phone to Bel. "I'm going to sit back out in the living room. Call out if you need anything, Belphegor."

Bel didn't reply to those words; he instead sent a text to Kyouya asking for the skylark to come back home. To his relief, he received a reply almost immediately, reassured that the other was on his way home and wouldn't be long.

With the comfort of knowing his boyfriend would be home soon, Bel closed his eyes and fell asleep once more.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Bel was glad to have Kyouya back by his side. He hadn't been able to leave the bed due to his wounds, so the skylark had taught him how to use the laptop so that he could still watch TV as he rested. Kyouya, too, had stayed with the older male, not wanting to leave Bel after everything that had happened. He sat on the bed next to his boyfriend as he read a book, waiting for the blond to bring up the subject of the hotel; Bel didn't need to know what had happened, and Kyouya didn't plan on telling him if he didn't have to.

"Kyouya…?"

Kyouya looked down at Bel's voice. He hummed in response.

"…" The blond looked out of the window at the snow that was still falling. "…I… Is Kyouya… okay…? From Mukuro…"

Kyouya nodded. "Yes, herbivore. I am fine. He missed my arteries."

"…What about Xanxus…?"

"He's dead." The skylark sighed. "He and the pineapple herbivore are both dead. We have not put the blame on you, however; I will not allow for that – you were pushed to your limits and I respect that."

As painful as it was to move around, Bel rolled onto his side so that he could rest his head on his boyfriend's lap. He felt numb as he asked, "Does that mean… I… I'm safe from them now…?"

"Yes. You no longer have to live in fear; you are safe now."

Bel couldn't stop himself from crying. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he was just so relieved to know that the ones who had caused him so much pain in his life could no longer hurt him. He continued to cry, pressing into the hand that caressed his golden locks soothingly, until he finally cried himself into sleep.

If this is what happiness felt like, Bel wanted to feel more of it.


	19. Chapter 19

Kyouya was far from stupid. He knew that the only reason Bel had been acting so… so _normally_ lately was because he was no longer living in fear and anger. What he had done that night at the hotel must have been enough to release him from his pain, and if that was the case, Kyouya could look past the fact that his boyfriend had killed two people – they had deserved it, and Bel had only done it because he could no longer take the suffering at their hands.

Bel was happy; that was all Kyouya cared about, and he was just glad to see the smaller male was starting to smile and come out of his shell where other people were concerned. He was still very wary of people, and though he was picky on who he would let close to him, he was no longer overly aggressive towards others and instead was becoming very shy to people he didn't know well.

Kyouya was glad to see how well Bel was doing, and even though he was still uncomfortable himself with a lot socialising aspects, he was willing to do whatever it took to help rehabilitate Bel as best they could.

Like now, as Kyouya sat tensely outside a rather crowded café with Bel by his side. Takeshi had organised with him earlier to meet him and Fran for lunch, and upon seeing how hopeful the blond had looked at getting out of the house for a bit, Kyouya had agreed; Bel loved curling up under a warm blanket for hours on end relaxing, but he still liked going into town and getting out of the house for a bit.

"You're looking very well today, Bel." Takeshi smiled as he watched the blond play with his dog. The older male was looking much healthier, with a bit of colour to his face and a little more weight on his thin frame. Even his hair didn't look so unhealthy and unkempt today. "Are you feeling good?"

Bel nodded. He smiled happily as the dog licked his hand; he had never liked dogs until he had met Takeshi's. "I had a shower with Kyouya this morning, and he washed my hair for me. He even combed it for me once we got dressed."

Before Takeshi could reply, Fran spoke up from where he had been poking his toasted sandwich. "Senpai can't even bathe himself. How sad."

The blond was sitting on the ground next to Fran's legs. He pouted as he reached out and thumped the younger's calf. "Stupid kohai, I can _to_ bathe myself! I just don't wanna have a stupid shower without Kyouya!"

Takeshi laughed, while Kyouya closed his eyes and sipped at his cup of tea. Neither of them were worried about the others' interactions together, knowing that it was how they had always acted together, and despite the oddity of it, they both seemed strangely content with the other.

"Ne, Kyouya?" Bel leant forward so that he could tug at his boyfriend's pant leg. "Can I have another milkshake?"

Kyouya nodded. He pulled his wallet out so that he could give money to the blond. "Do you remember how to order, or do you want me to come with you?"

"I can do it!" Bel sounded so excited, Kyouya didn't have the heart to baby the older male – not when the blond was finally learning how to be normal. He jumped to his feet, but before he could go into the café and order his third milkshake for the day, Fran grabbed his jacket and stopped him. "Froggy?"

"Can I come with?" Fran avoided eye contact, and he spoke in a quiet tone that hadn't existed until he had been sold off to the highest bidder as a seven-year-old. "I want a drink, too…"

Takeshi didn't hesitate to give his new charge money. He smiled brightly. "Are you okay to get it yourself, Fran? Bel can help if you if you need it; he's getting good at buying things."

Fran nodded. His hand held tight to the back of Bel's jacket, and he stuck close to his friend as they entered the café together. Bel didn't mind; he understood the need for closeness, and though he wasn't ready to hold Fran, he was able to pat the younger's shoulder.

Outside the building, Takeshi spoke to Kyouya. "He's really doing well. He loves you."

Kyouya tensed slightly at these words, not used to someone talking to him about raw emotion. "…I… do not know how to respond to that…"

Takeshi understood; Bel wasn't the only one who still had a long way to go. "You don't have to respond, Hibari. Can I ask you a question?"

Kyouya hummed. "You may."

"You love Bel, too, right? I've never seen you act with anyone else like you do with him. You're actually… _happy,_ and it's nice to see you like this."

The skylark closed his eyes. How was he supposed to respond? "…I… suppose… I might… I agree, though; he does make me happy."

The taller male smiled. "He loves you so much; I can tell. He would never have gotten so well if you didn't take him in. Have you guys like… You know…"

"Had sex? No, we haven't, and we might not for a long time, if ever. But I do not mind; he is still very afraid of sex and doesn't quite understand it apart from rape. He likes to kiss, though; he is very affectionate when we are alone."

"He's very sweet. I'm just glad he's getting better. Fran's doing pretty well, too; I think he had a bit of Stockholm Syndrome, but he's getting there. You should bring Bel over to my house so he and Fran can play together; Fran only comes out of his shell when Bel's around."

Kyouya nodded, but he didn't reply; Bel and Fran were coming back to the table. He stayed still as the blond wrapped his arms around him and kissed his cheek; he liked the older male's affections, but he was still very uncomfortable for them to occur in public. "Did you order your milkshake, herbivore?"

Bel gave a lopsided smile as he nodded and moved to sit back down with Takeshi's dog. "She said she will bring it out to me, and Froggy got juice. She said I was cute, Kyouya."

Kyouya narrowed his eyes. While Bel didn't seem bothered by what was said to him and instead seemed to enjoy the attention, the skylark didn't like it; he didn't like people making those kinds of comments to _his_ herbivore, whether flirting or just overly-friendly, because Bel was _his,_ and only _he_ could look at him like that. "…"

"Kyouya?"

The skylark's demeanour softened as he recognised the shy curiosity in his boyfriend's voice now. He spoke a little quieter, unable to help but be gentle towards the other. "What is it?"

"…" Bel ducked his head as a shy smile crossed his face. "…I want… to play with Takeshi… He said… he'll teach me baseball…"

Kyouya glared at Takeshi from the corner of his eye for telling Bel such things without consulting him first, but when he spoke, he was as gentle as ever with his boyfriend. "You can play with him, herbivore. He's… our friend, and you don't have to ask."

Bel's smile became sincere again. He poked Fran's leg in a childish manner, but he stopped without question when the younger tensed and moved away from the touch. He said nothing about it; he understood, knowing how there were still times he was afraid of touch, too. "Does Froggy want to play, too?"

Fran shook his head. He hugged himself as he looked away, and though most people would have missed it, Bel could still see the look of exhaustion hidden beneath that stoic exterior; Fran was as tired of life as the blond had been not so long ago.

"Froggy…" Bel looked to his lap as his smile disappeared; he could almost feel the pain Fran was going through, and he felt sick; he understand far better than he would ever care to admit, and he hated to know that someone else had suffered how he had. "…If… If Froggy is sad… he can talk about it… I talk to Kyouya about it sometimes, and I feel better…"

Fran twitched a few times before his emotionless façade fell and tears welled up in his eyes. He sniffed before he stood up and went to Bel. He wrapped his arms around the older male as he started to cry, and through his tears, he whimpered, "I want to die…"

Bel didn't know what to do; no one had ever come to him seeking comfort before. He was scared, uncomfortable with the sudden intimacy he hadn't expected from Fran, and he instinctively tried to back away. His breath caught in his throat as he whimpered at the claustrophobic feelings he tended to feel when people got too close to him, and he couldn't help but push Fran away so that he could go back to Kyouya and seek the younger's protection.

Takeshi had no problem giving Fran the comfort the teal-haired male had tried to get from Bel. He hugged the youngest tight as he said softly, "Bel doesn't understand things like this, Fran; he doesn't want you to be sad, but he isn't ready to help you just yet; he still needs someone to help _him,_ first."

"Is Froggy okay…?" Bel ducked his head when Kyouya wrapped his arm around the blond's waist to hold him close.

"Yes; he is going to be fine."

Takeshi was patient with his charge, and he didn't mind the time it took to calm Fran back down. He apologised to Kyouya, but the skylark said nothing about it; he was making sure his boyfriend was finished with his milkshake before he stood up. "We have to leave; we will be having afternoon tea with Fon and we must go home and get ready. I will bring Belphegor to your home tomorrow so he is entertained while I am at work."

Takeshi smiled. "We'll be home. Goodbye, Bel; have fun with Hibari and Fon."

Bel smiled shyly. He ducked his head, still not quite understanding farewells and finding them confronting. He hid behind Kyouya, waiting for them to leave. He was a little nervous to be going to Kyouya's uncle's home for afternoon tea, but he trusted his boyfriend to not put him in danger – besides, he kind of liked Fon, finding the man to be kind to him. He didn't like that Fon and Mammon had been dating, but he felt better in knowing that Mammon could never hurt him again.

They didn't get far from the café before Bel grabbed Kyouya's attention again. He smiled brightly. "I love you, Kyouya."

Kyouya was silent for several seconds before he nodded. "Yes, I know you do."

The blond's smile never faltered, and he asked in a hopeful tone, "Does Kyouya love me, too?"

"…Perhaps…"

Bel wrapped his arms around his boyfriend so that his chest was to the younger's back. He made a happy sound. "I know Kyouya loves me, too!"

Slowly, ever so slowly, a smile crossed Kyouya's face as he closed his eyes in peace. "You are correct, Belphegor."

The blond gave a joyful purr as he rubbed his cheek against Kyouya's. "I wanna be Kyouya's boyfriend forever. I… wanna have sex with Kyouya one day; Takeshi told me that it's okay if I have it with you. He promised you wouldn't hurt or scare me if we have sex."

"I will not harm you, Belphegor. You will feel very good instead."

Bel smiled. "Can… we try it…? I… I don't wanna… be scared anymore…"

"We can try it," Kyouya promised. "You are safe."

Bel smiled again. "I love Kyouya!"

"I… care for you, too."

Bel grinned. He felt so warm inside, and for the first time in his life, he felt as if everything was going to be okay, and he was looking towards a future that no longer seemed dark and torturous – instead, he could see a future with Kyouya that felt safe and welcoming for him, and he couldn't wait to see where it led him.

Maybe there _was_ such a thing as happy endings, and they weren't just made up things on the TV programs he had watched.


End file.
